Teet Foods Haven, a NAFDAC certified food processing and packaging company that deals in the production and packaging of 100% homemade and natural weaning foods for babies (from 6months), highly nutritious fortified pap which is known as Tombrown, fish mix, unadulterated beans flour, puff puff mix, and hot pepper is marking its fifth anniversary this weekend.
Ademosun, Olabisi Theresa, founder of Teet Food Haven, a food company which was birth 5 years ago has now shared the inspiring story behind the fast growing brand.
Going down the memory lane on what inspired her to start Teet Food Haven, Olabisi who is a Master’s degree in Industrial Chemistry with a specialty in Weaning Foods from Covenant University, Ota, and also currently a PhD student of Covenant university with specialty in food fortification and supplementation, alternative weaning food for babies, food processing and packaging, and cancer nutrition disclosed thus:
“I applied for my master’s programme and my supervisor gave me some articles to read, when I went through the articles I knew I will never succeed in that field because I was not just interested. I had a round table discussion with my supervisor, Prof. Kolawole Oluseyi Ajanaku and I let him know I needed something very substantial not a vague research work and we ventured into food chemistry research articles which I was so interested in and that was how it started.
God bless the great man, Prof. K.O Ajanaku for me, he supported me all through and even till now he is still supporting me. After my masters, I started formulating alternative weaning food for babies and initially I was doing it for free until the Holy Spirit inspired me to do something for myself. April 2018, I called my mother and told her about what I was about to do and we engaged in prayers, I just needed that subtle YES from God because I knew I will fail if He does not support the business. I waited for a while before the answer came and April 25th, 2018 Teetfoods started off.
We started with packaging raw foods like dried Ijebu ponmo, Ofada rice, Oat flour, grounded pepper, yam flour, plantain flour and beans flour. My first customer was my supervisor, Prof Ajanaku, he bought ALL my products and paid immediately! I was super excited and was so encouraged to do more. That was how I started selling to families and friends and I was making little cash for myself.
Then it was Teetfoods because we had not registered with CAC. Year 2021, we decided to register the company and Teetfoodshaven was approved by CAC and TEET was trademarked. We changed the products we were producing by the leading of Christ to a more research based products, Now, we produce a range of Nine (9) products (Teet Puff puff mix, Tombrown, Weanme infant cereal, Unadulterated beans flour, fish mix, wholemeal, oat flour, hot pepper and pancake mix. Just recently, the Lord surprised us and some of our products are now NAFDAC certified, we owe this great achievement to Jesus, the sole funder and founder of TFH.”
On the challenges the brand has overcome, Olabisi Ademosun said “There was a time I shut down the business for a year. I was frustrated, insulted and ridiculed. I remember a day someone abused me for running a business and not facing my studies, I can never forget that day. I went back home and cried my eyes out, I felt rejected and I was so ashamed of myself.
Furthermore, I had issues with funds. I was using my salary to run the business and at the end I was not able to retrieve the money back. Packaging was milking me dry, high cost of food materials, I was not experienced in food pricing, I didn’t have a business mentor, I doubted myself so much that I couldn’t even advertise on Facebook. The first time I advertised on Facebook, I got a direct message from someone that I should take the post down because NAFDAC might arrest me (laughs). All these ill talks really affected me and shattered the little self-confidence I was building at that time. I stopped the business in 2020, was just doing my thing on a very lowkey. Towards the end of Year 2020, some of my God ordained friends started reaching out to me, asked about my business and reasons I stopped etc. That was how I had a rethink.
On how Teet food haven bounced back after the hiatus, Olabisi disclosed that “First, I went back to God, prayed for direction and favor. I made up my mind that NOTHING will discourage me again. I started gathering the right association(friends), once you try to give me some negative vibes, I walk away from you without any apology. The right association really helped me. I started guiding my happiness with all my might, I made sure I was always happy irrespective of the situation. We started our weaning foods business line in 2021 when I was heavily pregnant with my second son and God showed up for me.
He announced Teetfoodshaven in 2021, we employed 2 staffs, we worked on our social media space. At this point, I was not ashamed again because I had worked on my self-confidence. God really helped us that we started sending goods as far as Taraba State. The first time I got an order from America, I danced around the house like I won a lottery…lols. I was so happy. Since then, God has been moving us from one level of glory to another. He sent us helpers, mentors and customers who patronised us without any reservations. To God alone be all the glory.”
Some of Teet Food Haven’s major wins
We are fully registered with CAC, trademarked and some of our products have been approved by NAFDAC. Our customer base is growing on daily basis. We have some of our products in some supermarkets with six (6) distributors in Nigeria. We have distributors in Taraba state, Abuja, Lagos and Ondo state. We ship outside the country to various countries. The lord has really been our help and support and we are eternally grateful.
What the future holds for Teetfoodshaven
The bible says as FAR as our eyes can see, He will give unto us. I see TFH products in every home around the globe if Jesus tarries. I know very soon, our products will be in every single supermarket in Nigeria and all around the world. I see Teetfoodshaven gain global references and recognitions and finally, I see God moving us to our permanent site with full industrial equipments and well trained staffs.
Below is a list of some of Teet Food Haven’s products:
- Teet Tombrown: A highly nutritious combination of different healthy grains of maize, soya, groundnuts, millets, ginger etc. an ideal breakfast meal fortified with diverse vitamin and minerals. Helps with weight gain, contains antioxidants, reduces cholesterol etc
- Teet Weanme Infant Cereal: This is specially formulated for babies from 6 months. A nutritious formulation of rice and oats fortified with vitamins
- Teet fish mix: A special combination of different fishes, prawns and crayfish.
- Teet Hot pepper
- Teet Oat flour
- Teet Pancake mix: Instant pancake mix
- Teet Puff puff mix: instant puff puff mix
- Teet Beans flour: 100% unadulterated beans flour
- Teet Wholemeal: A special swallow made from unripe plantain flour, yellow maize, millet, guinea corn, soyabeans. Specially formulated for people with diabetes, hypertension, nursing mothers, pregnant women etc.
All our products are hygienically produced under strict health conscious measures, well processed and neatly packaged.
Their contact:
Instaram: @teetfoodshaven
Website: www.teetfoodshaven.com.ng
Facebook: @teetfoodshaven
