We are delighted to be partnering with NOMU, SA’s most innovative food brand, for our new Le Creuset & Nomu Fonds promotion. With a company tagline that reads ‘Eat. Drink. Live’ you just know that the entrepreneurial couple behind Nomu are people after our own heart! Tracy Foulkes and Paul Raphaely are dynamic and passionate about their products. ‘We only make what we want for ourselves and items that make sense to us. We’re quite selfishly motivated that way. But this also means we give all our products an unusually personal stamp of authenticity… This way we keep things passionate, sincere and authentic, just as they should be.’ We asked Paul Raphaely to give us a glimpse into the world of Nomu.
Tell us about the NOMU journey.
It all started in December 2000, motivated by circumstance. Tracy was a professional caterer who was sick of being a professional caterer. There were too many lulls in between the big, stressful jobs, and she wanted something more regular, steady. Looking back now and knowing we were looking for that sort of thing, I’m not 100% sure we would have gone this route … Anyway, she had hoped to open her dream, destination store/food emporium (which may still happen) but while on the way to testing the response from the public to a few Nomu-branded products, we suddenly found ourselves abandoning the idea of a store and instead moving into manufacturing. It was all a bit experimental and not just a little whimsical. Very entrepreneurial.
How do you keep it exciting – what’s next up your sleeve?
With a wonderful, open-minded brand like Nomu we retain the flexibility and agility to go in any direction, really. There is a tremendous thrill in the freedom of knowing that a brand like Nomu could still mean so many things. Something that is certain is that we will always carry on producing products that interest and excite us.
As a happily married couple running a highly successful business together, what are your secrets?
No business talk until the first cup of coffee is done. No business talk after the first glass of wine is poured. Simple.
NOMU is always on the mark regarding global culinary trends – how do you track food trends reliably and bring them to market?
Tracy immerses herself in the subjects she is passionate about – food and great flavour. She consumes news and trends constantly, but tends to pick out just the one or two small things that fascinate her. Next, we look to see if we can find anything similar or good enough locally; if we can’t, we may think of doing it ourselves under Nomu. ‘May.’ There are a lot of things we see that we like or love enough not to want to even try to improve on…
What is the next big food trend we’ll be seeing in SA courtesy of NOMU?
Well, I don’t know if it’s a trend, but I like to think that we may just have actually reinvented what a ‘Just Add Water’ Hot Chocolate can (and should) taste like…
How does food fit into your family life?
It’s central. Meals are our time to catch up and we talk so much about the food as we prepare and eat it that I suppose it’s become a hobby for all of us, even our kids.
What makes Le Creuset a good fit with NOMU?
We are huge ambassadors for the Le Creuset brand because we feel it echoes our own ambitions to be understood and seen as a leading quality player. Le Creuset also obviously has a wonderful, rich heritage and history and character, all of which are things we will always hope to maintain in our own products and our story.
What are your personal favourites from Le Creuset?
For me, it’s my Le Creuset mug. For Tracy, her casserole pot.
We wanted to know more so we asked Tracy herself to give us details. This is what she told us:
I use my Le Creuset round and oval casserole pots ALL the time, especially during winter, and then I also love the flatter buffet casseroles, which I use for anything and everything from oven-roasted chicken pieces to chicken pie to veg gratins – on Friday I used it to make the most delicious pear-and-apple tarte tatin with Armagnac, orange zest and bay leaves!
What is your favourite Le Creuset colour?
I love Le Creuset’s Cobalt Blue, and Tracy is a sandy/white kind of girl who loves Cotton and Dune.
Have you got any special Father’s Day plans up your sleeve?
To eat everything…
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LE CREUSET & NOMU FONDS PROMOTION Purchase any Le Creuset cookware from our Cast Iron, Stainless Steel or Toughened Non Stick ranges and receive a complimentary Nomu Fond! Nomu Fonds will revolutionise your cooking: these super-concentrated liquid stocks are about as close as you can get to homemade stock, and add authentic and delicious flavour to stews, casseroles, soups, sauces and gravies – without any artificial enhancers or preservatives. At Le Creuset we also really like the fact that they are Kosher and Halaal certified, so all South Africans can enjoy their full flavour.
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To view our full range of products, visit our online shop at www.lecreuset.co.za or pop into your nearest Le Creuset Boutique store.
The Le Creuset & NOMU Fonds promotion will run from 17 June until 19 July 2015
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