“Our story, is what made us who we are”, said Isatou, 23, Co-founder of Bui Smoothies.
Isatou and Haddy were the finalists at NACUE’s Varsity Pitch 2016. Since then, there has been no looking back for these young entrepreneurs.
So what really is Bui Smoothies and what is this wonderful story that has catapulted Isatou and Haddy’s venture?
“So Haddy and I were born in The Gambia.” Isatou narrates, “Haddy's aunt and my grandmother sold baobab juice to make ends meet. Other women from The Gambia also sell baobab juice so it is a very common drink.”
“When we moved to the UK, we became interested in fitness and health. We started researching ways to make the foods we eat healthier. We found that baobab was, in fact, a superfruit and had lots of health benefits when consumed right, as they add a lot of sugar in the drinks back home.”
This inspired the young women to create Bui Smoothies. “We created a healthy smoothie that was inspired by our heritage,” she smiled.
Bui Smoothies is not only going to take the world by storm but also will have a social impact on women in Gambia.
Since Varsity Pitch 2016, they have worked on the product and rebranded their company. Bui Smoothies is currently being stocked in two health stores - Apple Jacks Health store in Stratford and Greenlands in Greenwich.
The founders have learned a lot from their time in the competition. “Haddy and I do not have a business background, so the mentors we met during boot camp helped us learn valuable things about entrepreneurship which I believe has contributed to our growth. The Varsity Pitch has also increased our popularity on social media which gives us further validity about our idea.,” Isatou said.
Varsity Pitch was an invaluable experience for Bui Smoothies. Their advice, “Go for it and give it your best.”
Text: Rituja Rao