MIRAH LANGER
“We are super-excited about it. We obviously strive to be the best in Joburg – and the best in the world,” says Paul Ballen, the founder of the business.
“The food business is an incredibly creative and exciting space to be in, but it’s also tough and a case of ‘if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen’,” says Danya Amoils, the head of human resources at the company.
“Success is measured by how long you can stay in the kitchen, who you can bring into the kitchen, and how all those people come together to bring creativity into the food space and innovate in an exciting way,” she says.
Ballen and Amoils recently sat down with the SA Jewish Report to share some of the key ingredients in their recipe for sweet success.
This year marks the tenth year of a business that began when Ballen received an ice-cream maker as a birthday present from his mother. This serendipitous gift unlocked a creative and entrepreneurial spirit in the Johannesburg-born son of two artist parents.
Ballen began selling his ice-cream creations to friends and family, and soon established an online community of people that were eager to experience the taste sensations being whipped up in his home kitchen.
As an emerging foodie culture was being shaped by the introduction of televised cooking shows, Ballen realised that he was tapping into a gap in the market for artisanal ice-cream.
“Prior to food television, all people had access to were written recipes in newspapers and magazines. Now, through cooking channels, there is this immersive education of watching people creating food.”
Ballen was inspired by his travels and the exposure it gave him to innovative flavour combinations and dining experiences not yet being explored in South Africa.
“Early on I realised South Africa was really behind in terms of food trends and appreciation. In 2009, it was just probably the beginning of coffee culture in South Africa. It was the perfect timing,” he says.
By 2014, Ballen had teamed up with business partner Josh Amoils, and the company began to increase its reach. Part of its vision for the future is to continue to expand in South Africa, contributing to the “local is lekker” pride.
“What bothers me is that if you come to visit South Africa from anywhere in America or Europe, and you go to a central hub where people socialise and spend their time, like Rosebank, you will walk around and see Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and Burger King,” says Amoils.
“All these brands and chains exist in other places in the world, and it’s such a shame because South Africa has a very unique style. Why should you opt to get a doughnut if you could get a vetkoek or a koeksister or something that is local? It’s just so uninspiring.”
Beyond pushing for an expanding African agenda, the company also believe that what it creates is special enough eventually to be offered to the global market.
“There are things that we do that are internationally competitive: the look and feel of stores; the pre-packed ice cream single servings,” cites Ballen as examples.
Ultimately, when it comes to entrepreneurship in South Africa, the company is upbeat.
“We are extremely positive. We think there is huge opportunity, and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” says Ballen.
This attitude is driven by the fact that for the company, true achievement encompasses more than just the sweetness of its award-winning flavours.
“The measure of success is vast. It extends from the product to the upliftment of staff to job creation, those are the aspects that make us feel proud of the business,” says Ballen.
The company runs on a profit-share incentive structure that incorporates everyone from the kitchen staff to the ice-cream scoopers to those running operations at headquarters.
“The better the company does, the more they earn,” says Amoils. “We have maintained from the beginning that you shouldn’t be capped in what you earn if you bring value to the company.”
In particular, the company made sure that it had “epic people in middle management”, as it believes those responsible for motivating staff and overseeing logistics are key to success.
Investing in middle management staff training, “has led to huge growth and resulted in revenue records being broken month-on-month”, Ballen says.
In fact, so eager is it to share the business lessons it has learnt along the way, the company recently launched an academy to offer training programmes to those eager to enter into the retail space.
It’s just one of its current projects. With headquarters based in Orange Grove, Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream is also keen to be part of rejuvenating the neighbourhood.
Having already purchased property that serves as housing for its staff, future plans include building a three storey factory, an entertainment centre, and premises for sister companies among other developments.
“There is going to be so much energy,” says Ballen.
Ultimately, it’s clear that core to Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream is the business of being a mensch.
As both Ballen and Amoils assert, the company is driven by Jewish business ethics when it comes to decision-making, management, and especially staff development.
“There is the potential to really uplift people,” Ballen says.
An example of just such a transformation is the career path of the company’s accountant, Lindani Dube:
“Lindani started off as a scooper at the Gautrain store, and he is now working at headquarters as our accountant,” says Amoils.
Ballen says this transformation was made possible simply by showing a personal interest in an employee’s life.
“We got to know him. We found out he was studying accounting, and that he was getting great marks.”
Ballen says that even in day-to-day encounters with staff, it’s always the small gestures that end up making the biggest difference.
“Small changes … can make them proud of what they do; it can inspire them and make them love and appreciate their work. By giving then a bit of love, time, training, and empowerment, it turns their whole world around.”
