Reflecting the current zeitgeist, Food XX is a movement started by food designers Studio H that are dedicated to empowering women in the food and drinks industry in South Africa. The most effective way to do this is to support women-owned companies.

From one-woman-shows to family businesses to major career U-turns, these are 10 of the food and drinks brands we’re excited about right now. From vegan ice cream to agave spirits, they’re not only creating beautiful, crave-able products but are creating jobs, most often for other women.

Yo Coco

When Sinenhlanhla Ndlela dropped dairy from her diet she soon realised that meant giving up ice cream, her favourite dessert. Instead, she developed her own vegan ice cream which launched a business in 2016. Yo Coco is artisanal ice cream that uses as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible to make up its delicious flavour combinations. If you’re in Joburg, it’s delivered straight to your door in packaging that’s environmentally-friendly. Sinenhlanhla says that each flavour is designed according to a chakra and each scoop is served with love.

Theonista

The Theonista mantra is ‘Follow Your Gut’, and that’s exactly what founder and brewmistress Meghan Werner did when she founded the craft beverage company. While their product range spans rooibos ginger beer and rooibos chai, Theonista is best known for its kombucha. When she moved to Cape Town from the States, Meghan couldn’t find her fizzy, fermented fix anywhere, which is when she decided to make her own kombucha. Her experiments have led to a variety of flavours made in a microbrewery in Woodstock. Theonista’s first stockist was Lyndall Maunder, the owner of Clarke’s and Hail Pizza on Bree Street, and a fierce champion of fellow women-run food businesses.