Two Colombian entrepreneurs bring banana snacks from Urba to the United Kingdom

With the idea of ​​showing the taste of the Colombian countryside abroad, Daniel Orrego and Natalia Welch, a Kaleena and a Perirana who live in the United Kingdom, decided to create the Loro Crisps brand in 2019, some banana snacks, grown in Antioquia Gaya Urabá and which has been exported since November 2020 to the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

Lori Crisps co-founder Daniela Orrego said that people in the UK use potato chips the most and that large supermarkets have aisle filled with different brands of this product and other similar snacks. “We felt that a Latin flavor was needed and our mission has become the main alternative to French fries for Colombian plants.”

According to the entrepreneurs, the trend today is to give preference to healthy, vegetarian and gluten-free products to buyers, which is to lure bananas to more and more consumers abroad.

In addition, entrepreneurs were supported by ProColombia for production in Colombia. In joint work with the unit, they found a great player and supplier in Urabá Antioqueño that meets the standards required for exporting products from this region of Colombia.

ProColombia also accompanies Loro Crisps products during the internationalization process and continues to create space to generate solid alliances abroad.

Through Loro Crisps suppliers in Colombia, 68 direct employment plants and 70 indirect jobs are generated. Similarly, 44% of personnel between direct and indirect personnel correspond with female heads of household.

The brand is reaching 35 SpinPean supermarkets and Chythogram stores in the United Arab Emirates, and has separate outlets in the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. During the epidemic, they began offering their products in the UK through e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Subscription Box, as consumer trends turned more towards online shopping.

In the coming days, the first full container of the Colombian Banana Snack brand will arrive in Japan, an important step for the British company led by Colombian entrepreneurs, and which is expected to cater to 10 markets in destinations such as Canada in the next five years Does. , Spain and Ireland.

ProColombia President Flavia Santoro assured that “agriculture is a fundamental part of the economic reactivation plan that we are executing and is the main milestone of the country’s non-mining exports.” From ProColombia we will move forward with companies in the sector who are committed to exporting goods with added value, one of the world’s pantries to respond to FAO’s call, thanks to the region’s natural wealth, Which is combined with expert hands for our farmers and entrepreneurs ”.

On the other hand, Natalia Welch had previously ventured into another typical Colombian product: Panaca. According to Welch, along with their company Pura Panella, they also export to various destinations, thanks to the fact that it has become a healthy alternative to sugar. “Our bags are made with sugarcane bags to help care for the environment,” said Businesswoman.

For Loro Crisps, future plans for the two entrepreneurs include making snacks with cassava or Chontaduro and being able to carry ‘Loro Travels’ in Colombia, where foreigners are likely to know the areas where they sell, Those who produce one, the flow of international travel becomes constant once.

With analysis from ProColombia, exports of fruit snacks reached $ 61.6 million in 2020, representing an increase of 0.7% over the previous year, according to data obtained from the DEN.

The most exported departments of this type of product were countries such as Antioquia, Valle del Caca, Bogota, Risaralda, Caldas, Quindio, and Magdalena in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Who were the main buyers during the previous year.

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