Simply Delish is a one-of-a-kind product made with carefully selected ingredients that are sourced from all over the world. In turn, the company proudly makes 100 percent plant-based desserts that set without the gelatin from meat products. Simply Delish started from humble beginnings over 25 years ago in South Africa. Today, Simply Delish is a household favorite for sugar-free Jel Desserts around the world; its products were recently re-formulated with Stevia, which has made an amazing difference to the taste and texture of our entire range of products.
Each delectable flavor of Simply Delish is gluten-free, vegan, kosher, nut-free, Non-GMO and Halal. As a result Simply Delish’s products ought to suit any holiday gathering or family event. Furthermore, many of its products do not require any refrigeration. As if that were not great enough, the Simply Jels from the brand have zero carbs and only have 5 calories per serving.
I spoke with Martin Pamensky, president of the Stanmar International Group about Simply Delish’s desserts and more.
Jewish Journal: Did you know that Simply Delish would be kosher from the start?
Martin Pamensky: Simply Delish was launched in South Africa over 15 years ago as a kosher sugar-free jelly with zero sugar.
JJ: Where did the idea for the brand Simply Delish brand come from?
MP: Five years ago, I was introduced to the owners of Simply Delish in South Africa and they were interested in exports, but the South
African Simply Delish ingredients were not natural and only had South Africa Beth Din Kosher Supervision. Over the next six months, we reformulated the Simply Delish to meet North American standards by changing all the ingredients to allow us to sell Simply Delish as an all-natural product with no artificial flavors and colors, using natural sweeteners, that’s also vegan and Non-GMO Verified with Star K Kosher Supervision.
JJ: When did you first become conscious of quality-oriented ingredients and nutrition?
MP: This was my vision from the first day we started working on the Simply Delish Brand if we wanted to be a unique Gel and Dessert products in South Africa.
JJ: How did you originally wind up in the food world?
MP: After completing my Marketing Management degree about 40 years ago I spent a year working with the largest supermarket chain in South Africa called Pick n Pay. My love for food and retail led me to visit Argentina, where I was introduced to the leading ice cream and dessert company.
Ten years later I sold my interest in Fredda’s Gelati company and moved to Toronto, Canada where I met my partner, who was the leading importer of South African and European Food products into Canada. Today we are the leading importer of Ceres Fruit Juices and many South African brands into North America and Simply Delish is one of our leading products
JJ: What do the coming months look like for your brand?
MP: We have redesigned the entire Simply Delish artwork as well as upgraded the Simply Delish to be all natural and allergen-free.
JJ: As this is for the Jewish Journal, I feel compelled to ask: What was the theme of your bar mitzvah?
MP: My bar mitzvah was in Johannesburg and we never had a theme as this was a traditional Orthodox synagogue.
JJ: When not busy with Simply Delish, how do you like to spend your free time?
MP: Traveling around the World looking for new and exciting products.
JJ: Finally, Martin, any last words for the kids?
MP: Eat smartly and eat healthy products with low sugars.
More on Simply Delish can be found online at www.simplydelish.net.
