Food Pantry’s food sock meals win Top 5 Startup Award
Food Sock Meals of the Garden Route Food Pantry has made headlines again, being named as a winner in the Top 5 Startup small businesses in South Africa for 2023. The announcement was made at the South African Small Business awards gala breakfast on 16 November.
Food Sock meals was launched in March to address the escalating food crisis with a sustainable and dignified solution. Carl van Blerk, a George-based social entrepreneur, has been at the forefront of combatting severe food shortages in the region for the past three years.
According to Van Blerk these products are designed to maintain high standards in quality, taste and nutrition while being extremely affordable. "Today, we are witnessing a significant shift in our population demographics, with an increasing number of individuals from diverse sectors struggling to afford daily meals for their families," he said.
"The secondary, yet equally impactful aspect of food sock meals is its reseller entrepreneurial model. This initiative has already seen over 400 distribution resellers established nationwide, creating a network of micro-entrepreneurs and extending the reach of this vital service."
He said the global potential of food sock meals has not gone unnoticed. There is interest from international buyers, including the United Nations, for using food socks for disaster relief and in war-affected areas.
For those interested in supporting this cause or in need of affordable, nutritious meals, food sock meals can be ordered online at www.foodsock.co.za. In the spirit of the festive season, the company is offering a special Christmas Pack for employers to gift their employees. Priced at just R250, each pack includes six full-size food socks, each serving four people.