A blend of spice and citrus with a hint of sweetness. This is what you can expect from the delicious ginger drink, Gili. With the beautiful design of their bottle, they cannot fail to stand out among the other market players. We had the pleasure of interviewing the founders of Gili, Enzo Mazza & Gaëlle Croonenberghs, a young, dynamic, and passionate couple with a clear mission. Pleased to meet you!
Could you briefly explain the history of your business/product?
Enzo: It all started as a home-made product. My mother loves ginger very much and studied Jamu, traditional Indonesian medicine. During the winter months, I drank the elixir with Gaëlle to feel better and improve ourimmune system. Then came COVID …. more and more people were looking for ginger and honey, but there were not many alternatives on the market. Either ginger was too concentrated or it was too sweet. That’s where we saw the opportunity to make a natural and vitalising ginger drink with a good balance between acidity, sweetness (but without sugar) and a high concentration of ginger. Thus, Gili was born. The name symbolises the energetic power of[GI]nger mixed with the spiciness of[LI]mon & a kiss of honey.
Can you explain why ginger is so good for our health?
Enzo: Ginger is known for its active ingredient gingerol. This ingredient is very ggood for the circulation and improves the immune system. There are also more and more people who are intolerant to glucose, fructose, gluten, lactose. Gingerol also has a positive influence on them. Gaëlle, for example, is intolerant to garlic, fructose and lactose and since we started drinking Gili regularly, I can’t remember Gaëlle suffering as much as she did before. The same goes for me, and I’m not saying this because I believe in ginger or because I like Gili, but in the winter I was always sick. Just ask my friends from high school. Since I’ve been drinking Gili, maybe it’s psychological, maybe not, but I haven’t been sick for the past two winters.
When you say you drink Gili regularly, how often do you mean?
Gaëlle:We drink it at least once a day, usually starting our day with a shot of Gili. It gives a good kick and it keeps us away from coffee. During the day I always drink Gili with water, just to add a little flavour. I don’t think about drinking water otherwise. You can also add it perfectly to your tea. That’s actually the best way to drink it when you’re sick, a shot in the morning and in your tea.
Enzo: You can also use it to cook, really great! I spent 6 years of my life in Asia and I used Gili with fried rice, but you can also use it to glaze chicken. It gives a nice spicy and Asian flavour to your dishes.
Gaëlle: Ginger is known as an Asian spice, but not everyone likes Asian food. In Gili is also a lot of citrus. Therefore, it is not the Asian taste that dominates the dish, but it is more a touch of spiciness with lots of citrus. It is actually also very European.
Can you explain why your product is different from the rest?
Gaëlle: I think the main reason why we stand out is that wedon’t use refined sugars . Instead, we use honey, which also has antibacterial properties and is obviously healthier. We also closely monitor the production of Gili. We guarantee an artisanal product, whereby we make everything ourselves. We do not buy pre-pressed ingredients, but the most unique aspect of our product is that we have found a solution to make it zero food waste . We reuse all the pulp from the production and dry it as a base for ourdelicious Ginger-Lemon tea, which by the way will be released in mid-May.
How did you experience the launch of Gili on the market?
Gaëlle: I experienced it as a real adventure because we both had other work when we launched Gili. We rushed the launch, which made it very hectic, but also very exciting. We slept very little, but you don’t feel that lack of sleep when you are so excited about something. It really is our passion! We were so happy when the first orders came in, our hard work was not in vain. It was a very exciting adventure!
Enzo: I don’t think I could have summed it up any better than Gaëlle. It was really quite satisfying to know that our hard work had paid off. Indeed, we first combined Gili with our old work until we decided to go for it 200%. That was when we started commercialising Gili. It was simply a wonderful achievement and a great feeling. Everything we have now we owe to ourselves and ourselves alone. Just go for it and do what you can!
Who or what have you learned the most from?
Gaëlle: We are very complementary and that might be a very typical answer, but I think we have learned a lot from each other, because we play two different roles, but still share the same passion and the same work. Enzo is more inclined towards the structured, operational and financial aspect. He also does most of the production himself, together with our producer in Wallonia. I am more the creative spirit and focus more on the marketing part of the business.
Enzo: I have learned a lot from Gaëlle since we started Gili. She can be very tough, tough in sales, contracts and negotiations. She always has to be able to negotiate. She will never miss an opportunity and that is something I have learned from Gaëlle. Don’t stop!
What would you now not do again?
And so: As Gaëlle told us a moment ago, we were a bit hasty. We were very excited to present Gili to the world. There is also a lot of competition in the world of ginger drink, but thanks to our added value we remain a unique player in the market. There is a lot of good thinking behind our product: zero waste, no refined sugars, … I think if we were to do it again, we would take a little more time so that everything would be structured and planned from the start.
What would you have done faster?
Gaëlle: To launch our theme line sooner. It will only be launched in May because it is a whole process both in terms of logistics and production. We need to keep all our production steps so we have enough pulp to commercialise the tea. We would have liked to work this out in advance so we could launch it more or less at the same time. That way it is also easier for consumers to understand our whole story.
And so: It is also important to know that we are the first drink in Europe to recycle all its waste, to commercialise it and not just use it to make fertiliser. We turn it into a real product. We are creating value from our waste.
Which achievement are you most proud of?
Gaëlle: I think the whole tea story is something very unique. Many brands make a product but don’t think about the consequences of their production. We see more and more brands thinking about sustainability, like implementing substitutes for plastic, but we don’t see many brands in the food and drink industry thinking about continuing the life of their production waste. I think this is something we can be very proud of, that we have found a solution to have no food waste.
And so: Just the whole concept that we created, that we didn’t just launch another product. We also hope that others will follow, because there are so many things possible with waste, it’s incredible! Since we started Gili, we have already come up with 3 or 4 applications for the reuse of our waste. I’m sure other companies can do something with their waste, but they just don’t know that there are so many great possibilities.
What advice would you give your younger self or budding entrepreneur?
And so: The most important thing is to really go for it, don’t hold back, don’t think about security, your career…. Every experience is a great experience, even if it’s not the success you hoped for. We are not sure ourselves that Gili will work in the long run, but we have followed our passion. So really go for it, do all you can and see if it goes anywhere, but don’t hold back on trying. How often do we hear people say: I want this, this and this, but, but, but…. The more you wait, the harder it will be. Then you get a promotion or a raise at work, then you think about having a family, then you’re soon 30-35 years old, you have children and that’s not when you give up your job. And so you keep putting it off. The longer you wait, the longer your list is going to get.
Gaelle:If you are passionate about something, follow your passion and go for it, as we did with our passion for ginger. If you are passionate, you work for the full 200% and then you also work with pleasure. That is the most important thing! We have also learned so much more from our experience with Gili than we had learned from our previous work and studies.
What is your big next goal business and/or personal?
And so: I think our next big step is to increase production, while staying firm to our corporate vision. Being artisanal and having no waste, unlike many other companies in the beverage industry. We want to be able to make more Gili’s a month while staying true to our sustainability.
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