Founder Stories: TumiBee

by Foodbevy
March 4, 2021

Interview with Sunanda Patel

Let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there. How did your company get started and why?

In 2018, I returned home on a flight from a business meeting with a monstrous cold. I was working a demanding corporate job in NYC at the time and was worried about downtime.  I immediately called my Mom to ask, “How do you make that turmeric water again??” Growing up, my Mom, who is Indian, would make this turmeric herbal remedy anytime I had a cold, cough, sore throat, etc. Whenever I got sick, I would hear her say, “Make some turmeric water!” And…it always worked!

This recipe was handed down in my family from generation to generation in India. I made the concoction right away, and followed my Mom’s directions to the tee, and a few days later, I felt much better. Afterward, I thought, “Why should only Indians be privy to this ancient herbal secret?” And that’s when I decided to create TumiBee!

I’ve added my own flavor twist with cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Yum! I wanted to make sure I shared this all natural, homeopathic remedy with anyone and everyone that wanted it. I made a product that was made entirely from real food ingredients with no preservatives, fillers, gums, artificial sweeteners, milk powders or additives–that also tasted great. I’m excited to say we now have a superb product that is in line my own personal clean eating values.

What is your product and how would you describe it?

TumiBee is a turmeric & honey superherb functional beverage blend created from an ancient Indian Ayurvedic herbal remedy that has been handed down for generations in India. This healthy (and delicious!) elixir builds immunity, reduces inflammation, boosts mood, helps cognitive function, calms the gut and is a potent antioxidant. Mix it into your milk of choice to make golden milks, or add to coffee, smoothies, oatmeal, etc

TumiBee is made fresh, in small batches, with premium real food organic ingredients. Our product is made without artificial preservatives, fillers, gums, milk powders, sugar or additives. I took into consideration the source of each ingredient, and made sure to use the least processed and healthiest version of that ingredient. For instance, our honey is local, raw and unfiltered, so that all the enzymes and minerals stay intact. It is straight from the hive honey, unpasteurized (70% of honey is altered with other additives and syrups). Our ghee is organic and grassfed, because only grassfed ghee has CLA, an incredibly healthy fat that is made only when cows eat grass. Our spices are organic and lab tested for pathogens. Also, we have superherb Tulsi in our product. Tulsi, called the Queen of Herbs, and a revered herb in India, is an adaptogenic herb great for stress and anxiety relief.

Additionally, I took into account that turmeric needs the right balance of fats and herbs to be effectively absorbed by the body.  We are different from other golden milk powders and turmeric products, because there are no milk powders in our product. Milk powders are highly processed and use emulsifiers and additives to create it, which you will find often in products taking on the golden latte trend.

Finally, our product is authentic. It’s coming from my Indian home to yours, from a family recipe handed down from generation to generation. The knowledge and wisdom that has been passed down through the years in the making of this recipe is what makes it so potent. The ancients knew what they were doing! The ingredients are balanced just so to make it effective. The secret is in that balance of the herbs–and you can’t deny thousands of years of ‘R&D”. I think it’s really important these ancient cultural remedies are not forgotten in the next generation–and that they keep going for many more generations.

And, we believe in giving back.  For every jar sold, a portion of the profits will be donated to bee conservancies and progressive environmental charities. 

How have you pivoted your business this year?

I launched TumiBee in the middle of 2020 due to having to pivot away from our original plan. Originally the plan was to launch early 2020  and  move heavily into brick and mortar stores, starting in NYC and then outwards to create an organic following. However, Covid hit and all plans had to be revised. I decided to focus heavily on my online and social media presence and worked to partner with other like minded companies that make clean foods that are made with real ingredients–to mutually reach each other’s audiences as they are likely looking for other great healthy products.

What is your next challenge to overcome?

My next challenge is to do what we had set out to do–get into brick and mortar and to create a presence on Amazon. Additionally, our marketing efforts have to go beyond Instagram and our website, so we are looking into a multitude of marketing options. I would love help with expansion into more channels and getting more press for TumiBee. Right now we are known amongst a niche of wellness lovers, but turmeric is helpful to a variety of audiences including cancer & arthritis patients and hardcore fitness lovers that need a recovery drink that can help with muscle inflammation and soreness.

We do sell wholesale, so if retailers are interested, definitely get in contact with us. 

What do you predict for the food industry over the rest of the year?

Wellness is going to be an industry that is going to keep growing exponentially, especially within the Gen Z & Millennial generations. These two generations tend to be a group that drink less alcohol and are far more interested in functional beverages that help increase their wellbeing. I love these 2 gens! They are super smart and well informed about health topics. Additionally, with Covid still in the picture, immunity products are going to be on the top of people’s minds. Because people are at home more–there is an acute awareness of their own wellness goals–and now we have more time and focus  than before to do something about it.

2020 also helped more people get comfortable with shopping for food products online and get groceries delivered. I don’t see that trend going away–in fact, I think online grocery shopping is here to stay as a result. People got more comfortable with trying out products without tasting them and were exposed to new brands. This is great for newer food products!  We have a wider audience now and don’t have to compete with Big Food  and getting space on the shelf, as much as we would have pre-Covid.

Finally, I see there will be a continued increase of plant-based foods that have wholesome real ingredients that are free of preservatives and additives. People are now more aware of the effects of these chemicals that the bigger food companies have been adding over the years–and are demanding better. It boggles my mind to see how long we let these companies get away with making “food”–that’s not really food and hurt our health as a result.  I’ve always thought there should be an ethical food certification for food—as we should be eating actual food only.

What’s the future of TumiBee?

 

We have a new flavor we are R&D’ing right now that we are super excited about.  It is downright delicious and we are eager to launch it.  But in the meantime, if anyone wants to try our Turmeric  & Honey flavor, we’d like to offer a 10% off with code: FoodBevy10. 

Join us and Live the Golden Life! (That’s our motto!)

Learn more at: tumibee.com and follow on IG/TT @tumibeeco

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