Power Crunch has a vision of making “healthy food tasty,” says Sabira Deen, its owner and founder. “As a result we try to make multipurpose ingredients that our customers can use to make their own delicious dishes.”

Power Crunch is in fact a home-based business that started off with Deen making natural granola, which then grew. 

It has now introduced options that cater to all types of diets and customer preferences, including vegetarian, vegan, lactose free, and keto. The products range from granola to yoghurts, vedgemeets, nut butters, pickles and dips to superseed puddings and nut milks – and even artisan chocolates.

Following are excerpts:

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Could you please introduce yourself and give us an introduction to Power Crunch?

Hi, I’m Sabira Deen, the owner and founder of Power Crunch – a home-based business that started off with me making natural granola. Our motto is to make healthy food tasty and as a result we try to make multipurpose ingredients that our customers can use to make their own delicious dishes.

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‍What’s the story behind your brand and what does your product range comprise?

The business started off with me making natural granola with a few flavours and ended up with 14 different flavours and a wide product range. During the Covid pandemic-related lockdowns, we started experimenting with different plant-based milks and now we have 14 varieties of vegan cheeses to offer our customers. We have smoked cheese, goat’s cheese, herb and garlic cheddar, feta, parmesan, and many more on our list. We also started making vegan meats and now have more than 15 different types of sausages, vegan beef, chicken, chicken nuggets, and spam. 

We also have a vegan fish sauce. Our list in fact features many different types of dips, sauces, and mixes. We have five different varieties of hummus, including a lavender one; seven varieties of mayonnaise; and multi-purpose dips that can be used for soups and sauces or eaten as they are. We have five different types of nectars that we use to make our mocktails. Our products also include chutneys and pickles.

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How does your brand support ethical sustainable and climate-friendly food choices?

We highlight local ingredients like billing (tree sorrell), amberella (June plum), and pineapple and locally-sourced ingredients that we prepare in different forms. We also cater to keto customers and as a result in our Park Punch bakery we make almond bread and buns, along with vegan rich cake, date cake, and a wide variety of other delicious items.

Our goal is to be sustainable so as a result we try to encourage our customers to return our glass jars so that we can recycle and reuse them. We now have over 200 products and we cater mainly to vegans, vegetarians, keto dieters, and also non-vegetarians who happen to love our sauces and dips, and even our feta cheese. We work with nutritionists and have all nutrition information available. We don’t use any processed sugar and all our products are naturally sweetened.

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How do you benefit from EthicalX promoting your business and have you been offered useful support through EthicalX?

In my experience, I’ve noticed that ethical business advocates are mainly found on Instagram, such as meatlessmondaysl and vegan Sri Lanka. These entities have shown support by reposting some of my product advertisements. Among them, EthicalX/SLYCAN Trust stands out as the sole entity that has provided substantial support. They not only offered assistance but also took the initiative to inquire about the specific support I needed. I value their support and look forward to working with them in the future.

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SLYCAN Trust launched the EthicalX programme in January 2022 to enhance Sri Lanka’s start-up ecosystem and strengthen ethical, sustainable, and climate-friendly entrepreneurship on all levels. Through Climate & Innovation Hubs, EthicalX provides capacity-building and technical support for entrepreneurs at various stages of their business development, with a special focus on plant-based food systems.

The EthicalX Food Systems Cell comprises talented and well-rounded entrepreneurs with a common interest in enhancing their capacities, expanding their network, and promoting sustainable and ethical food systems through their enterprises.

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