01/2010
Blerina Bombaj started as a dietician and restaurant owner in the centre of Tirana. She supported people in their everyday diet and created personalised food portions according to their needs. Given the success of her activity and the growing demand of consumers, she had the idea of producing directly her ingredients. So, Blerina developed her own agro-ecological farm in the Laknas area, a peri-urban area near Tirana, where she cultivates various kinds of vegetables and spices.
Contact details
Blerina Bombaj
Function / Organisation : Owner
, Blerina Bombaj - We are what we eat!
E-mail :
Website : https://www.blerinadiet.al
E-mail :
Website : https://www.blerinadiet.al
Location
Rruga Brigada VIII, Tirana, Albania
Albania
Albania
Stakeholders
- Local farmers who supply their products to Blerina
- Consumers who purchase fresh products for their everyday cooking and those who need a personalised diet programme and special food portions
Objectives
- Producing and processing healthy, safe and fresh food
- Promoting a balanced diet for urban and peri-urban inhabitants in the Tirana area ∙ Offering healthy and seasonal meals made with fresh products at the restaurant
- Raising awareness on seasonal diets among children through farm entertainment
Legal framework & Budget
This activity is a private business. It employs 5 to 7 persons at the restaurant and 5 to 12 persons at the farm according to the season, in addition to providing a full-time job to Blerina Bombaj.Activities
The core of Blerina’s business is to be consistent with agro-ecological values from agricultural production to food processing. The main activities are farming, processing, cooking at the restaurant, product sales (directly on the farm, at the restaurant or through special diet programmes), dietary advice and farm entertainment (especially for children). Various educational games related to farming, plant growing and cooking are organised for children during the weekend. Blerina is very active in the social life of Tirana. She is often invited in TV shows or interviewed in magazines to promote healthy food and eating locally. This is a new approach of doing business in Albania.>Innovation & Outcomes
Blerina Bombaj contributes to promote local products and food at both the local and international level. She has now become a well-known farm and restaurant owner in Tirana, with a significant number of regular customers. Her initiative is unique because she combines farming, diet programmes, cooking at the restaurant and entertainment activities. Preparing diet programmes and cooking at the restaurant adds value to the farm production. Particular attention is paid to the contact between farmers, cooks and consumers to create a long-term community. Finally, consumers contribute with their specific dietary needs for good physical and mental health.
Jobs created
20
20
Main obstacles & Next steps
The first obstacle that Blerina had to face was to make her business known and to earn consumers’ trust regarding the origin of products, production methods, etc. Now, the main obstacle is to meet as much consumers’ needs as possible, related to very diverse diet programmes. This business requires flexibility in production schedules and methods as well as a great attention to product quality.More on :
https://www.blerinadiet.al
