I-Tofoo Co, eyasungulwa umbhangqwana waseBrithani uDavid Knibbs noLydia Smith, ichaze kabusha i-tofu e-UK, yaguqula lesi sithako sendabuko sase-Asia saba umkhiqizo odumile, odumile onesabelo semakethe esingu-62% ngo-2024. Okumangazayo kakhulu ukusungula kwabo okunesibindi—ukwethula i-tofu enosayizi we-XXL (750g) efana nosayizi wezingubo, isinyathelo esidonse ukunaka kwabathengi.
Ngo-2016, laba bobabili bathola indawo encane yokusebenzela i-tofu yobuciko enenzuzo yonyaka engama-£600,000 kuphela. Ngo-2025, base beyikhulise yaba yibhizinisi lama-£32 million, bephikisana nokwehla okungu-7% kwesigaba sokungabi nenyama e-UK ngokukhuphuka kwemali engenayo ngo-19%. Impumelelo yabo ivela ekuxazululeni izinkinga eziyinhloko zabathengi baseBrithani: "ukwesaba i-tofu" - okubangelwa yi-tofu enamanzi amaningi eyayidinga imizuzu engama-30 yokucindezela ngaphambi kokupheka, kanye nesithombe somkhiqizo esingathandeki nesingenakufinyeleleka. Imindeni engu-8% kuphela yase-UK eyayidla i-tofu ngo-2023, kodwa uDavid wabona amandla amakhulu ngokuyiqhathanisa nemakethe ye-tofu yase-US engama-£175 million, elinganisela inani elingakasetshenziswa lase-UK elingama-£40 million (uma kuqhathaniswa ne-£7 million yangempela ngaleso sikhathi).
Besebenzisa ulwazi lwabo lweminyaka eminingi ku-FMCG—uDavid ekuthengiseni eMars kanye noLydia ekuthengiseni e-Arla—baqale bavuselela umkhiqizo. Besebenzisa i-nigari coagulant yendabuko yaseJapan esikhundleni se-calcium sulfate, badale i-tofu eqinile kakhulu enomswakama ocindezelwe kusengaphambili, okwenza "ivuleke futhi isetshenziswe". Ukupakisha kanye newebhusayithi esemthethweni kunikeza iziqondiso ezilula, zesinyathelo ngesinyathelo: ukukhipha amanzi, ukusika, ukupheka, ukujabulela, ngezindlela eziyisithupha zokulungiselela (i-cube, ukugoqa, ukudabuka, njll.) kanye nezindlela zokupheka zesitayela saseNtshonalanga njenge-tofu pizza kanye ne-curry, okuhlanganisa i-tofu nemikhuba yokudla yaseBrithani.
Isu labo lokuthengisa lalibukhali ngokufanayo. Ukuxhumana kukaLydia nokuthengisa kwabafaka ezitolo zeTesco ezingu-2,000 ngo-2016. Bakholisa abathengi ngemininingwane yeKantar kanye nombono wokukhulisa lesi sigaba, hhayi nje ukuncintisana. Intengo yayo ingu-£2.30 ngephakethe elingu-280g—eliphakathi nendawo esigabeni esingenanyama—i-Naked Tofoo yabo yaba yi-SKU ethengiswa kakhulu emakethe ye-tofu ngo-2023, yanda yaya kuzo zonke izitolo ezinkulu zase-UK futhi yabona ukukhula okungu-100% esiteshini sezinsizakalo zokudla ngo-2025.
Ukumaketha kugxile ekunambitheni okusesitolo, kanye nokwenyuka okungu-89% kokusetshenziswa kwemali ngo-2024—babekholelwa ukuthi “ukulunywa kudlula izikhangiso eziyinkulungwane”. Ngokungafani nezinye izinhlobo ezisekelwe ezitshalweni ezilingisa inyama, i-Tofoo Co ibeke i-tofu njengesithako esizimele ngezwi lomkhiqizo elijabulisayo, elilula: akukho miyalezo ekhuthazayo yemvelo, ikhophi ehlekisayo, ehlobene njengokuthi “Lokhu kupela kuyiphutha. Kunjalo nangomusho. Kodwa uTofoo akalona.”
Ukusungula umkhiqizo kuyisici sabo esibalulekile. Banikeza i-tofu ngobukhulu obufana nobezingubo (280g, 450g, 750g XXL) futhi bethule i-tofu yokuqala eqandisiwe yase-UK, kanye nezinhlobo ze-"lazy tofu" ezifakwe emanzini ashisayo, ezisikiwe kusengaphambili—ezibhemayo, ezi-sriracha, ngisho nezihlutshiwe ezinambitheka njengamaqanda. Iphakheji enesibindi, enamabhulokhi enemibala egqamile kanye nophawu olukhulu ivelele emashalofini, enemiyalelo ecacile yokusebenzisa ephrintiwe ngqo kuyo.
Ngokutshalwa kwezimali okuvela esikhwameni saseJalimane iComitis Capital ngo-2024, iTofoo Co yanwebeka ezitolo ezinkulu zaseFrance ngo-2025 futhi yathenga umkhiqizi waseJalimane iTopas ngo-2026, yathola ukufinyelela kunethiwekhi yayo yokusabalalisa yaseYurophu ukuze yethulwe eJalimane. Lokhu kubeka isisekelo sempi ye-tofu yaseYurophu, lapho umkhiqizo waseKorea iPulmuone nawo ubheke khona imakethe—kodwa iChina, indawo yokuzalwa kwe-tofu, ayikatholakali.
Uhambo lwe-Tofoo Co lunikeza izifundo ezibalulekile zemikhiqizo yokudla yendabuko yaseShayina: ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kulele ekwenzeni kube lula ukuyisebenzisa, ukwenza izindlela zokupheka zasendaweni, kanye nokwakha umkhiqizo osemusha nofinyeleleka kalula. Njengoba nje i-Lipton ichaze kabusha itiye laseShayina, i-Tofoo Co icabange kabusha i-tofu—okubonisa ukuthi izithako ezindala zingawina izinhliziyo zomhlaba wonke ngokusungula izinto ezintsha okuhlakaniphile. Amandla eShayina ekudalweni kokunambitheka, ahambisana nokwakha uphawu lwesimanje, angayenza ibe ngumholi we-tofu womhlaba wonke. Futhi ukungena kwe-Tofoo Co eShayina kungaba nje "inhlanzi ethambile" yokuqalisa igagasi elisha lokusungula izinto ezintsha embonini ye-tofu yaseShayina.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Mashi-20-2026