We were lucky to catch up with Gloria Allorbi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Gloria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
I named my brand Gloria’s Shito as a way of taking accountability for the inauthenticity of my cultural representation of Ghana’s beloved national condiment, shito—a delicious chili oil. I was born in Ghana but later moved away with my family to Scotland. The move to a new continent meant unlearning my cultural identity and assimilating into a new one, forsaking language, customs, and culture. So, when it came to naming my brand—a venture intended to put Ghanaian cuisine at the global forefront—it was intentional to acknowledge any lack of authenticity, as I do not consider myself an expert in representing Ghanaian cuisine. By naming it Gloria’s Shito, it serves as my personal version and representation of Ghana’s cherished national condiment. This frees me from the liability of misleading anyone to believe that my version of Ghana’s Shito is the most authentic, as shito can be highly personal for many families who have their own unique versions and recipes, where their grandmother, mother, aunt, and sisters make the best shito.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Gloria Allorbi. I am a Ghanaian-born third-culture kid now living in Los Angeles, California, as an adult. Growing up outside Ghana, my connection to Ghanaian culture was through the food my mother would cook at home. Now, as an adult living away from family, I found it challenging to access the taste of home.
I asked myself, “Why can I not access the taste of home as easily in a sea of European, Asian, and Latin cuisines in grocery aisles?” The answer became clear: I was not sharing my cultural cuisine with the global food community, which meant there was no demand for grocery stores to carry the foods I grew up eating.
To change this landscape, I started my brand, Gloria’s Shito, to share the foods of my cultural cuisine with the global food community while creating accessibility for myself and the 2.2 million sub-Saharan African immigrants living in the United States. The mission-driven goal of Gloria’s Shito, while creating accessibility, is also to bring recognition to the flavors and tastes of Ghana by seeing it celebrated in food media.
As of today, one of my proudest accomplishments since starting my brand is witnessing the excitement and acceptance of my beloved Ghanaian condiment, shito, which has garnered recognition in acclaimed food media publications and outlets. Most importantly, being able to bottle my mother’s home-cooked recipe and make it commercially available.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
This question ruffles me because, truth be told, I did not actually set out or plan to start a business. Gloria’s Shito happened out of necessity in search of accessibility to the taste of home. Frustrated by the lack of access to Ghanaian cuisine, particularly shito, a cherished chili oil, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Despite the challenges of sourcing authentic ingredients like scotch bonnet peppers and smoked seafood, I embraced creativity and culinary innovation.
Through experimentation, I developed my own version of shito, using substitutes like bonito flake and habanero peppers found in Japanese and Mexican markets. The result was a product I was proud of, and I eagerly shared it with family and friends. Their enthusiastic response revealed a demand beyond my immediate circle.
Thus, Gloria’s Shito was born as a side hustle, fulfilling custom orders for customers who paid upfront. This arrangement proved beneficial, especially during the onset of the pandemic when I had more time to dedicate to the venture alongside my day job as a cosmetic chemist.
As demand increased, I reinvested profits from the previous year into formalizing the business, officially launching it in January 2021. This involved registering and incorporating the business, marking a significant milestone in its growth. Despite transitioning to operating Gloria’s Shito full-time, I continue to bootstrap the business, relying on my savings to sustain my living and committing myself entirely to its potential success
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Brand reputation for Gloria’s Shito has been built on relatability and inclusivity. I firmly believe in bringing my customers along the journey with me. Initially, Gloria’s Shito was born out of a personal need – I created it for myself before realizing others shared the same need. I was my first customer, which gave me a deep understanding of the needs of my audience. Unlike businesses solely focused on profit, I prioritize the satisfaction of my customers. I often tell them, ‘If it’s not good enough for me, it’s not good enough for you.’
My commitment to quality stems from my 15 years of expertise in product development in the cosmetic field. I meticulously select food-based ingredients, free from added sugar, inflammatory oils, preservatives, and dyes, relying solely on traditional methods to deliver a top-notch product.
By involving my customers in the journey, they feel a sense of ownership and connection to Gloria’s Shito. Many of them have been with me since day one, cheering me on and rooting for my success. New customer acquisition and discovery have primarily come through referrals and word of mouth, further solidifying the sense of community surrounding the Gloria’s Shito brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gloriasshito.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gloriasshito/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gloriasshito/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gallorbi/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@gloriasshito
Image Credits
Alessandra Griffin – All photos except photo in Green printed fabric dress with my hands folded – Green printed fabric dress with my hands folded is by Lesly Hall