Passionate about quality international cheeses, Khaled Yousef of Raw Energy Food International has launched a new range of luxury products at affordable prices called YOLO. The distinctive black and white packaging is available through all major foodservice distributors nationwide and covers a wide range of all the traditional international favourites including Dutch Smoked Gouda through to Italian Parmesan, German Emmental and French Goat’s Chevre.
The range is packaged in convenient sizes along with info about taste and usage of the products. “YOLO is all about the concept that ‘you only live once’ and we should make the most of life with great food products. Raw Energy Food International are making the desirable affordable for everyday chefs and restaurateurs,” said Yousef. Foodservice packaging sizes are around 1kg in size to suit kitchens big and small. The bulk cheese range are cut from big wheels or blocks and packaged in re-sealable zip lock vacuum bags.
Raw Energy Food International initially began importing specialty international cheeses ten years ago and when Yousef joined the family business five years ago, he soon became known as the ‘cheese man’.
“I have a passion for cheese and international food and intend to make a much wider range of cheese and other international products available over the coming years,” said Yousef. Khaled’s father Adel started the company in Dunedin in 1985 and the business was moved to Auckland just two years later. Adel now owns and operates the company with his brother, Alaa, from their Otahuhu premises.
The company first started dealing mostly with Indian products meeting a demand in the market following the coup in Fiji that saw a major influx of Fijian Indians settling throughout New Zealand.
With the keen local interest in ethnic food, Raw Energy’s range of products grew from strength to strength. It now offers a huge variety of foodstuffs – ranging from Indian basmati rice through to North African couscous, and of course the new YOLO range.
