The Sweet Nostalgia of The Goodiebag Factory

Food: the ultimate necessity of life beyond breathable air and drinkable water. Yet, in this triad, there is a neighbourhood of eats that might send some to battle. Thinking back to 18 th century France when King Louis XVI sat on the throne with his companion, Marie-Antoinette-Josèphe-Jeanne d'Autriche-Lorraine (popularly known as Marie Antoinette), one immediately finds why this reference is relevant. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type="show" ihc_mb_who="1,2,3,4" ihc_mb_template="3" ] One of the most quotable references attributed to the last queen of France is “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” – traditionally translated to “Let them eat cake” – stated while their people suffered gross famine. However, in The Goodiebag Factory, those indulging in baked goods are teleported to times when life was that of soft rocks and honeydew. Historical evidence states that sweet delicacies have been around for some time – including sweets made from a combination of fruits, nuts, honey, dates and spices from as early as the Egyptians of 2000BC. As such, the idea of a ‘sweet tooth’ is older than most people are able to quantify. What can’t be denied, however, is the role that our gustatory (taste-related) and olfactory (smell-related) senses play in how we develop, abandon or hold on to memories. This was the instigating factor for the founder of The Goodiebag Factory (TGBF), Betsi Motlhake – née Thamane, as she sought to satisfy “an itch for an authentic taste for a soft buttery sponge cake with old school buttercream”. Founded in 2015, Motlhake sought to appeal to her inner child and start “a confectionery company that would scratch that same itch for others”. Eight years later, the confectioner is proving that sweetness and nostalgia are good additions to her business. Having started the business by mapping herself out as the ideal client, the offerings of TGBF were grounded in ensuring that they’d meet the demand where people were having difficulty finding the great and authentic baked goods they wanted in retail settings. This incited a Do-It-Yourself approach for the entrepreneur. Observing that confectionery goods in Botswana don’t have “any hidden gems where you can get artisanal bakes where the taste is deliberate and there isn’t an over-present processed flavour profile”, TGBF sought, solely, to give their clientele a “connection with the person who made the product”. With the dearth of a niche market such as those of the neighbourhood markets of the West, this approach to business saw the confectionery build a strong support base in Gaborone and beyond, their success lying in giving people what they were aching for: “a place that you can walk into and buy fresh bread where you don’t have to place an order in advance. Where you can have cakes that taste particularly good without them looking extravagant”. The people of the Tswapong region are often mocked for their love of borotho (bread), yet there is no denying that this affinity is shared nationwide. Diphaphatha have surpassed magwinya, mapakiwa and other forms of local bread in making their way into fusion cuisine. This kind of innovation is what has consistently moved TGBF and its head baker. Deriving joy from not only being the person in the kitchen laboratory, Motlhake feels rejuvenated in “presenting a new product to clients and seeing them take that first bite and watching it transforming something in them”, something she says looks like sending them back to a place that makes them feel good or conjures a memory that was perhaps buried deeply. This transcendence of time and emotion plays a particularly important role in the confectionery and pastry market – valued globally at USD 416.36 billion in 2021 and estimated to grow to USD 590.54 billion by 2028, according to a report published by Fortune Business Insights. For most, their expenditure on pastries is tied to nostalgia and returning to times when baked goods were the manifestation of joyous moments. However, the neurological effects of consuming carbohydrates can’t also go unrecognised as beneficial to the market – a market that Motlhake is looking to open wider as the nation grows toward self-sufficiency. The opportunity for a diversified baked goods market to reach billionaire status was opened when the Government of Botswana restricted – through the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry – the import of goods within the sector in 2020. Beyond the fresh goods, there are items that have longer shelf lives like biscuits and biscotti – which The Goodiebag Factory has ventured into as seasonal treats. “I want to trailblaze in that market because we’ve seen what the government has tried to do with localising the production, sale and packaging of freshly baked goods,” she shares. “While most of us go into this as a hobby, we can see that there is a market demand and interest.” Over the years that The Goodiebag Factory has been in existence, and especially during the lockdowns of COVID-19 control, those with ovens turned to them for comfort and profit-making ventures. Perhaps, in investing in the business of making memories, TGBF has found an ever-flowing fountain. [/ihc-hide-content]

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The Sweet Nostalgia of The Goodiebag Factory

In investing in the business of making memories, the founder of The Goodiebag Factory (TGBF) is finding that demand for freshly baked things that taste really good was always there

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The Sweet Nostalgia of The Goodiebag Factory

In investing in the business of making memories, the founder of The Goodiebag Factory (TGBF) is finding that demand for freshly baked things that taste really good was always there

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