Roots of a Dream
Thankfully, when I began nursing my first-born, all those terrible eating habits I’d cultivated throughout my college years came to a screeching halt. The welfare of my baby became my main concern and so, I made a commitment to do whatever I could to nurture his health. Feeding myself – and thereby him – quality foods became my top priority. From that moment on, I cultivated my culinary skills and learned everything I could about nutrition. The meals I prepared for my family from then on were organic and locally produced or grown: tree-ripened fruit, farm-fresh vegetables, and ranch-to-table meats. Knowing that rice would help balance our diet, I began to re-incorporate it into our daily meals as well.
NURTURING THE PLANT
Still, I felt like there was something missing. And then it dawned on me… eating healthy was one thing, but what about the little hunger in between? Sparked by my love of rice and the desire to not only eat well but to snack well, the idea behind Ricebles® was born. By combining just three pure and richly nourishing ingredients, I created a wholesome and tasty snack that the entire family could enjoy, resulting in the recipe we are true to today.
YES IT IS A FAMILY AFFAIR!
Family is the heart and soul of Ricebles®. When the time came to give a name to our product, it was my daughter who came up with Ricebles®. Then, with the brand name in place, my son, the graphics-wizard, created our logo. My sister heads up our Sales and Marketing team and my best friend and college roommate created the trademark and copyright. Throughout the years, my husband has provided unwavering support to me and my endeavors, and finally, my marvelous mother has been a major contributor to developing the original process as well as offering assistance with production and packaging.
KEEPING IT LOCAL
Ricebles® is based in Marin County, California, and I wanted to keep as much of the product development as I could within the community. With everything in place, I went in search of the right commercial kitchen to accommodate Ricebles’® increase in product volume as well as my desire to keep it as local as possible. Following one lead after the other, each quest ended in disappointment. Discouraged but not deterred, my persistence paid off in the form of the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (business incubator) in San Rafael, California, who opened their doors and commercial kitchen to me. As both a connoisseur and an architect, I was thrilled to see such a perfect gastronomic layout. That, together with the kitchen’s spotless facilities and knowledgeable staff, I knew immediately that we’d found the ideal location to begin manufacturing Ricebles®.
HARVEST TIME
Ricebles’® path from inception to production has taken a long 27 years to traverse but when I finally perfected the technique, it was time to develop a workable foray into the marketplace. Then, in February of 2012, the break we were waiting for finally arrived in the form of a Bay Area hi-tech company that was looking for a locally made, healthy snack for their staff. Not only would this company provide us with an eager market, but we would also gain invaluable product feedback. We were ecstatic! With a solid connection, our momentum began to take off… and continues today with increasing speed. Our customers are as thrilled as we are with our products and packaging, and those who haven’t yet enjoyed Ricebles® are in for the greatest treat – an original and delicious taste. The bottom line: People who try Ricebles®, buy Ricebles®. No question about it! And we at Ricebles® are eager to get as many people as we can into that group.
Noushin Oshidari
