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Borj Lella, a place with possibilities

Entrepreneurship

Food security

Borj Lella, a place with possibilities

Building Back Better’ was the subject of PUM’s conference with the conclusion was that ‘going beyond recovery’ after COVID-19 requires an inclusive, resilient and sustainable approach. Good example of a PUM client who has put efforts in developing their business during the crisis, is Borj Lella in Tunisia. This family-run restaurant has followed the advice of PUM expert Renée van Winsen. They invested in their cheese factory and slowly started agro-tourism. Renée went back recently and saw with her own eyes the progress they have made and the impact they are creating in their community.

Borj Lella is the company of an enterprising couple, Zied and Atka Ben Youssef. They run a restaurant annex cheese factory in the middle of nature in Tunisia. It is a beautiful remote spot on a mountain, about a two-hour drive from Tunis. Located in the middle of a sea of wildflowers on 15 hectares of land with olive, fig and almond trees. In the restaurant, breakfast and lunch are served with a set menu of local specialties.

First advice on location

PUM expert in Milk Processing & Products, Renée van Winsen, visited the business. She explains: ‘They asked for advice about their cheese production. The factory was a small room (50 m2) in the restaurant, behind glass walls so customers could see how traditional products are made. However, the conditions in the cheese factory were far from ideal. The turnover of staff was high, there was no hot running water, the milk was heated with an open fire, the stirring and cutting of the curds was done manually, and the hygiene was far below standard. Quite a bit of work to be done!’

Besides improving the general conditions for the cheese production, Renée saw opportunities for Borj Lella on the agro-tourism front. The terrain is perfect for taking an (educational) nature walk. Between the planted olive and almond trees, vegetables and herbs could be grown on little fields. The products could be used in the restaurant and informative signs could clarify what is growing there. Furthermore, Renée gave some suggestions to encourage customers to stay longer in the restaurant and consume more. A children’s play area inside and a safe playground and pet corner outside would be good additions to the restaurant.

Second visit, after COVID-19

After almost two years of travel restrictions due to COVID-19, Renée was finally able to go back. She was impressed: ‘The family has worked really hard. A brand-new separate cheese factory has been built next to the restaurant, about 300 m2 in size. There is now a team of five employees, including a woman who cleans all tools, workbenches and the floor. All in all, quite an improvement!’ During her second visit Renée gave advice on further improving hygiene, cleaning of the molds and food security. She also taught the team to make Feta, Ricotta, Edam, fresh cheese, and yoghurt. They now have not only expanded their production scale, but also their product range.

Zied and Atka Ben Youssef

Owners of Borj Lella

We are proud that we can provide an income to sheep farmers in our surroundings. We buy their milk at fair prices during nine months per year, outside the lambing season.’