Kathleen Quillinan never set out to build a food empire. Her original dream was to become an opera singer.
But a side hustle she started to fund her singing studies would eventually become Pesto Princess, a Cape Town business employing around 100 people and producing tonnes of fresh food every month.
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More than 26 years later, Kathleen’s journey from homemade pesto to major South African retailers is a reminder that some careers take unexpected turns.
For the love of opera
Born in London in the 1960s, Kathleen has lived in Cape Town since she was an infant and considers South Africa her permanent home. Her passion for opera began at home, thanks to her mother’s collection of Puccini records.
“I used to entertain myself by listening to them, over and over again,” she recalls.
She started singing in choirs at around 10 years old and regularly attended opera performances at what was then known as the Nico Malan Theatre, now Artscape.
“I found opera spellbinding and deeply moving, and I still do.”
Kathleen eventually studied classical music at the University of Cape Town and pursued her singing ambitions. Looking back, however, she has a rather self-deprecating view of those early ambitions.
“To be brutally frank, my own operatic dreams were youthful delusions,” she shares with BONA, adding that she does not believe she was particularly good or completely committed to the career.
A school verandah became the beginning
While looking for a way to pay for further singing studies, Kathleen started selling homemade food. Every Friday, she set up a trestle table on the verandah of her son’s school and sold baked and bottled goods to parents collecting their children.
One product stood out… It was the fresh pesto that kept customers returning.
A customer eventually suggested that Kathleen approach a retailer to see whether the product could be sold more widely. She took the advice and approached Fruit & Veg City, which is now known as Food Lover’s Market.
The response was immediate. Her first delivery sold out in less than a week. A second order followed, this time for double the quantity. That was when Kathleen realised her little side business could potentially become something much bigger.
Pesto Princess started in her kitchen
The company’s early years were anything but glamorous. For five years, Kathleen and a team of five made fresh pesto from her home.
“In a word: chaotic,” she reminisces of those beginnings.
Running a start-up from home meant there was little separation between work and personal life, while managing cash flow added another layer of pressure.
“Your home is never your own, switching off after hours is hard, and cash flow is tricky,” Kathleen explains.
Still, the uncertainty had its rewards.
“If you love adventure, adrenaline rushes and challenge, the early days will fuel you, reward you and summon your persevering, tenacious side.”
From 5 employees to 100
Pesto Princess has since grown well beyond its home-kitchen beginnings.
The company now operates from an accredited facility in Muizenberg, Cape Town, employs around 100 people and produces approximately 25 tonnes of fresh products each month.
Its products are sold through major retailers including Checkers, SPAR, Pick n Pay, and Food Lover’s Market, as well as independent food stores around the country. Yet one important detail has remained unchanged: the original Basil Pesto recipe. The company’s fresh products are also made without preservatives or colourants.
For Kathleen, the growth has been a gradual process.
“This growth happened slowly, over 26 years of trading,” she tells BONA, describing the company as having reached a point of maturity.
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The people behind the Palace
The company’s production facility and head office have affectionately been given the name the ‘Pesto Princess Palace.’
Despite the royal-sounding title, Kathleen says it is essentially a fresh-food factory that houses most of the company’s workforce. What matters more to her is the culture within it.
“People come first at Pesto Princess, and a company culture of caring guides all our decisions.”
That philosophy became particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many businesses were forced to make difficult decisions about their workforces, Pesto Princess managed to retain every position with the help of a repayable loan. The choice came at a cost, placing significant pressure on the company during the five years that followed.
For Kathleen, however, protecting the team was never really up for debate.
“For a people-centred business, it was a no-brainer.”
Giving back through food
As Pesto Princess became more successful, Kathleen and her team became increasingly aware of the country’s food insecurity crisis.
Around 2017, they began looking for a meaningful way for the business to contribute. That led to a relationship with Ladles of Love, a non-profit organisation providing food and support to people in need, including children in early childhood development centres.
Together, they launched the Buy One Give One campaign.
For every sachet of Pesto Princess soup sold through SPAR, a hot meal is donated through Ladles of Love. The company has donated more than R1 million to the organisation to date. For Kathleen, the initiative allows the business to turn its values into something tangible.
A bigger chapter in the works
Pesto Princess has spent almost 20 years in its current facility, but another major change is now on the horizon.
The company is preparing to relocate to a larger fresh-food factory. The move is expected to give the business greater capacity to supply retailers and bulk-product distributors while creating room for new products.
And while the business continues to evolve, Kathleen remains grateful to the customers who supported it from the beginning.
From a young woman dreaming of opera to an entrepreneur building a business that employs 100 people, her career has taken an unexpected route.
The pesto that once helped fund her singing ambitions ultimately became the main act.
Also see: Female entrepreneurs to support in Cape Town
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