In this interview series, HSWT presents startups that are part of the Food Startup Incubator Weihenstephan (FSIWS) . The series presents the companies, their product ideas and how they work.
The name “Hilli” comes from the Ecuadorian Indian language Quichua and means juice. Her homeland is HILLI Fruits founder Paulina Carrera's heart and, above all, has shaped her sense of genuine fruit taste. After the birth of her children, the Ecuadorian-born woman wanted pure, natural products that tasted like ripe fruit - just like she knew from her own childhood. The fruit purees also met the taste of the jury in the VOX founders show “The Lions' Den”: Entrepreneur Ralf Dümmel in particular was enthusiastic and invested.
FSIWS: Paulina, what is your vision or mission?
The culinary richness of Ecuador is extraordinary. My home country is home to a variety of exotic fruits that thrive in the valleys of the Amazon, on the plateaus of the Andes and on the coast of the Pacific Ocean thanks to the climate and direct sunlight. I would like to bring my customers closer to the full-bodied life of my homeland and other excellent growing regions. In my products you will find 100 percent taste and a wide range of possible uses.
Well-being and sustainability are the two pillars on which my company is built. On the one hand, a healthy lifestyle includes a large portion of well-being, which is positively influenced by a varied diet with the right vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, sustainability is a very big aspect that has a very special significance for me - that's why I work in direct contact with many farmers.
How do you ensure the sustainability of your products?
Through the process in the factory: washing and disinfection using natural citrus components, separating the pulp from the hard components, pureeing that does not destroy any ingredients, and gentle preservation through pasteurization. And with immediate shock freezing, all of the ingredients are preserved. All products are lovingly handcrafted and free of added sugar and artificial preservatives. HILLI Fruits does not have an industrialized process, because real handwork is a very important part of our production chain.
