Instead of his original ask of $60K, Gilles Tchianga, Founder of Taltis Foods, recently accepted an irresistible offer of $600K from Wes Hall of Canada’s Dragon’s Den — a reality television show in which business owners pitch their ideas before venture capitalists in aims of securing an investment. Taltis Foods offers a range of West African food products, including a flavourful ready-to-use jollof rice cooking sauce that comes in both mild and spicy flavours.
Image source: CBC Dragon’s Den
Tchianga describes the entire Dragon’s Den experience as a dream come true. “It was a very indescribable, emotional moment. More than 20 years of work flashed before me as I stood before the Dragons. Flashbacks from the past and the struggle of building a business came to my mind ever since I left my original country of Cameroon in Central Africa. I have been at this for many years and kept pushing forward despite many people saying it wasn’t possible. Getting to the Dragon’s Den, I knew that if I had come this far, I was already successful, even if I didn’t walk away with an offer, but I did, and that is a big win,” says Tchianga.
The idea for Taltis foods began with realizing a gap in the market. Living in Toronto for many years, Tchianga could hardly find any African products on the retail shelves of big box grocery stores to prepare African meals in Canada. Not having access to these products made him homesick, longing for those culinary flavours. So he started cooking with what he could find, often substituting the ingredients with whatever was available from African grocery stores. Through word of mouth, many family and friends came to enjoy his cooking sauces and beverages. Demand for them grew, leading Tchianga to start his own food company.
According to a statement from Tchianga on the website, “We combine Canadian ingredients and authentic African spices to deliver unique tastes to consumers. Our products are easy to use and healthy, with no added refined sugar, preservatives, or MSG. Taltis Cooking Sauces allow ”food adventurers” to quickly prepare various African dishes in the comfort of their homes and save much time. Our mission is to democratize African cuisine in Canada and North America.” He continues, “Life after Dragon’s Den has been unbelievable and fast-paced. It feels like a new chapter in life has opened up. Many are open and receptive to African food, and I’ve been receiving comments from people worldwide. They want to discover more, and it is so wonderful to see.
The Jollof rice sauces are one of the bestselling products that Taltis Foods offers, and the Hibiscus beverages are also selling out. Tchianga is ramping up production and plans to expand the product lines to include more offerings. Still, everything is starting slowly, with a focus on creating awareness for the brand. Believing that African food is a brand, Tchianga wants to promote cultural diversity in Canada and make this cuisine accessible to everyone by sharing it with the world. He also advises others to value the foods they have at their fingertips, especially if it is cultural, because they are a treasure, and acceptance equals recognition.
Wes Hall — Executive Chairman and Founder of Kingsdale Advisors, offered Tchianga $600k, which consisted of $100,000 for 33 percent of the company and $500,000 as a loan to help with production. This offer comes at an opportune time when many Black-owned businesses generally face difficulty funding their ventures. According to a CBC article, the City of Toronto conducted a 2015 survey asking how they can support Black-owned businesses. Around half of Black respondents identified “financing” as a primary need, which was also reported in a 2001 research study. In retrospect, Tchianga himself recalls having this same need, “I spoke to many banks but never received any success with funding my ideas. It was always one rejection after the other.”
Given his experiences, Tchianga has words of wisdom for those with business ideas, ”Just start! If you have anything that represents your cultural heritage you want to build a business around, just do it. There is no perfect time to start and you do not need a lot of money either. Secondly, define your purpose because in this path, you will meet many people who will not understand your goals. Their observations will go contrary to what you are trying to achieve. Listen to them without being affected negatively. Embrace the criticism and use it as positive fuel. Finally, you are your biggest supporter. You have to be the face of your brand because people buy from people. You need to have a personal touch and know that people will not clap for you until you clap for yourself.”
3 Steps to Make Jollof Rice in Less Than 30 minutes with Taltis Foods
Just incase you’ve been living in the stone age and do not know what jollof rice is, it is a West African dish made from long-grain rice cooked in a tomato, onion and red bell pepper sauce with spices and your choice of protein. There has certainly been a lot of debate on which West African country has the best jollof rice but judging by the scheme of things, Cameroon is also vying for the top spot. Without futher ado, here are three simple steps to make jollof rice in less than 30 minutes with Taltis Foods.
Ingredients: (serves 4)
• 2 cups of rice
• 375 mL Jollof sauce Taltis (1 jar)
• 2 cups of bone broth (or vegetable broth)
• 20 mL of vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
Preparation:
• Add all the ingredients at once to a cooking pot or rice cooker.
• Let it cook until done.
• Stir and serve hot.
Tell me what you think. Will you be trying out this recipe to cook jollof rice with Taltis Foods’ sauces?
I’m a seasoned communications and marketing consultant with a penchant for all things stylish and chic. Follow me on social media and subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates on industry trends and much more!