Yonas Alemu, founder and managing director of Lovegrass Ethiopia, is revolutionizing Ethiopian cuisine by harnessing the potential of teff, an ancient Ethiopian grain, to create innovative food products that appeal to both local and global markets. His journey from investment banking to food entrepreneurship illustrates how one man’s vision can transform traditional cuisine while supporting local farmers. This story draws from Alemu’s interview with How We Made It in Africa.
A Journey Rooted in Tradition
Alemu’s journey began in rural Ethiopia, where he grew up in a farming community and spent his early years working in teff fields. Thanks to his parents’ dedication to education, Alemu moved from his village to Addis Ababa for schooling, eventually earning scholarships to study abroad in Bulgaria and the UK. After completing his education, Alemu embarked on a successful 17-year career in investment banking in London.
A Seed of Inspiration
Despite his success in finance, Alemu remained connected to his agricultural roots. While living in London, he noticed teff being marketed as a superfood in health food stores but was surprised to find it was sourced from the United States rather than Ethiopia. This sparked an idea—to create a business that would promote Ethiopian teff globally while supporting Ethiopian farmers. The vision was born: to leverage the nutritional value and cultural significance of teff to build a brand that could compete on the global stage.
The Birth of Lovegrass Ethiopia
In 2016, Alemu made the bold decision to leave his banking career behind and return to Ethiopia to launch Lovegrass Ethiopia. Friends and colleagues were skeptical about his decision to leave London for Addis Ababa, but Alemu was committed to showcasing Ethiopian cuisine and contributing to the local economy. He invested his savings into building a factory on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, navigating Ethiopia’s bureaucratic hurdles to secure land and establish the necessary infrastructure.
From Injera to Innovation
While teff is traditionally used to make injera, a staple in Ethiopian cuisine, Alemu decided to go beyond traditional uses of the grain. Recognizing its global appeal as a gluten-free, nutrient-rich superfood, Alemu began experimenting with teff in various forms. After testing different products in his family’s kitchen, he settled on teff-based pasta as Lovegrass’s flagship product. This choice allowed him to position teff in a new light, merging Ethiopia’s rich culinary tradition with modern food innovation.
Conquering the International Market
In 2018, Alemu showcased Lovegrass’s teff pasta at a specialty food trade show in London. The product was well-received, earning awards for innovation and securing deals with major international retailers such as Ocado, Selfridges, Whole Foods, and Planet Organic. This marked Lovegrass’s entry into the global market, where the brand’s story of quality, sustainability, and cultural pride resonated with health-conscious consumers. Despite the challenge of positioning pasta—a typically low-cost staple—as a premium product, Lovegrass has succeeded in building a loyal following.
Navigating the Ethiopian Market
While Lovegrass initially focused on international markets, Alemu knew that success at home was equally important. However, the Ethiopian market presented its own challenges:
- Limited Retail Infrastructure: Ethiopia lacks the widespread supermarket chains common in other countries, making distribution a logistical challenge. Lovegrass had to build relationships with smaller retailers to reach Ethiopian consumers.
- Shifting Consumer Perceptions: Some Ethiopian consumers still view locally produced goods as inferior to imports, requiring Lovegrass to educate the market about the brand’s high-quality standards and commitment to using the same practices for both domestic and export products.
Looking Ahead: A Vision for Sustainable Growth
Today, Lovegrass Ethiopia has expanded its product range beyond pasta to include breakfast cereals, pancake mixes, snacks, and powdered beverages, with more innovations on the horizon. Alemu’s vision for the company is grounded in two key principles:
- Sourcing Locally: Lovegrass sources its teff directly from Ethiopian farmers, ensuring fair prices and supporting local communities.
- Manufacturing in Ethiopia: By keeping production in Ethiopia, Lovegrass creates jobs and contributes to the country’s growing manufacturing sector, despite the logistical challenges.
Yonas Alemu’s transformation from a London investment banker to a pioneer of Ethiopian food innovation is a testament to the power of vision and entrepreneurship. Through Lovegrass Ethiopia, Alemu is not only building a successful global brand but also promoting Ethiopian ingredients and cuisine on the world stage. His story is a powerful example of how innovation, rooted in tradition, can redefine industries and uplift communities.
