AWARD-winning, Planet Kuku, Edinburgh-based producers of a Middle Eastern specialty, ‘vegan kuku’, who supply to cafés, restaurants, retailers and food distributors around the UK including Planet Organic, Real Foods, Easter Greens, Margiotta and Lomond Food Group, announces expansion plans after securing a major deal with the University of Glasgow and the creation of five new jobs.
Marysia Janowczyk and Mat Noniewicz, founders of Planet Kuku, started their business in a small flat at the end of 2015 and over time built a large following at Leith’s farmers’ market, one of the most popular markets in Edinburgh. Their signature dish and bestseller is the vegan kuku, a type of frittata dish, originating in the Middle East, made with locally sourced cold pressed rapeseed oil from the Scottish Borders.
In 2017, they moved into a shared commercial kitchen and by 2019, they were producing 37,000 kukus each year. To meet the demand, they took on a full-time staff member. As kuku’s popularity surged, they secured a 1,800 sq ft site at Telferton Industrial Estate, Portobello at the beginning of 2020 which allowed them to supply to larger caterers, shops and cafes across the UK.
Like many businesses, Marysia and Mat were forced to close their kitchen during the Covid 19 pandemic. However, as soon as it was possible, Planet Kuku re-opened in July 2020 and won two medals at the prestigious Free From Food Awards in 2020 and a further three medals in the Free From Food Awards 2021 edition.
The company currently supplies to 17 outlets in Scotland, including Margiotta, Real Foods and Easter Greens stores and eight Planet Organic stores in England and just secured a major contract with the University of Glasgow to produce kuku’s for all of their café’s and canteens.
Mat said: “We are delighted to be in a position to grow Planet Kuku despite the difficult time we’ve had over the last 18mths due to the Covid pandemic”.
“Securing jobs for our team, winning contracts including supplying our kuku’s to the University of Glasgow, winning awards and being in a position to take on five new members of staff is a dream come true for us – all of the hard work is really starting to pay off”.
“Our goal is to expand even further south of the border which we are confident we can do thanks to all the ongoing help and support we’ve received over the last year from businesses like Margiotta and Planet Organic and Business Gateway Edinburgh.”
The company, which is also in talks with other universities and colleges in the UK and major food outlets south of the border, has launched a crowdfunding campaign, https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/planetkuku to raise funds for additional machinery to help grow the company and to continue to secure jobs and grow the team.
