Real Food Factory

Address

Unit 9, Spruwing Park, Capricorn Drive, Muizenberg, Cape Town

Sourced From The Heart

by Juliet (Jules) Harris

The real food Factory was created with a conscious commitment to our local community.

 At the very heart of our operation are our small scale farmers, artisanal growers and local producers from which we source all our organic raw ingredients. We take time in cultivating a personal relationship with each and every farmer we source our ingredients from, so we know how it was grown, and how it will benefit you. We believe in nurturing these important relationships with our community producers because their spirit feeds our passion.

 We are slow food philosophers. We believe in 'quality before quantity'.

  All of our artisanal products are handcrafted, produced in small batches, improving both the nutritional value and the flavor of our produce with little waste and no mechanization. We are committed to using recyclable and compostable packaging across our ranges for true peace of mind.

An explorer on a quest for a vegan lifestyle

Jules is a ’70s child, born in London. Her fascination with medicinal plants and mushrooms started while studying Chinese Language at Leeds University. 

​As you can imagine, her studies took her into amazing spaces of self-discovery, and she has lived and travelled all over the world in pursuit of this journey. 

​For three years, she lived in China, learning how to grow shiitake mushrooms and, eventually, she found herself moving to Wilderness in the Western Cape, one of the best places in the world to grow this special fungi. She currently lives in Kommetjie in Cape Town where she runs her vegan, sustainable and eco-friendly food company. 

 Her understanding of both western and eastern thinking has led to a curious fusion in the food she creates. 

Food with a story

The first products in her range were conceived at the Wild Oats Farmers Market in Sedgefield. Here, Jules was approached by a woman whose son had Leukemia. The mother had heard about the benefits of shiitake and wanted to know if Jules could create something for her son using these medicinal mushrooms.

 Thus, the first shiitake pesto was created and, soon, it grew into the artisan range of products available today.

 A vital part of the Real Food story has been food markets and food shows. The Sunday Times Food Show was the first of many. Others included Good Food and Wine, Taste Festival and the Oranjezicht Farmers Market.