With a portfolio of differentiated, healthy, and natural products, the company has entered the fast-growing wellness market in the Gulf.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates 14 September 2022 – Following its successful participation in the Colombia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Evok recently opened its first shop in the United Arab Emirates. The store specializes in premium products produced in Colombia based on a blend of herbs, fruits, and spices.
You can find the shop on the ground floor of the Mall of the Emirates, which offers various products. Such products include special coffee, chocolates, honey, infusions, and tea, with natural ingredients that provide tranquility, wellness, and vitality.
In addition to bringing some of Colombia’s most symbolic products to the region, Evok aims to be recognized as one of the leading brands offering healthy products free of artificial flavors, preservatives, and colorings to conquer a market with substantial growth in the region. At the same time, the store aims to connect with consumers who believe in the power of nature and understand the importance of conscious eating, where quality is fundamental.
Cesar Restrepo, the co-founder of Evok, said, “In Colombia, we are “herbalists” by tradition. We have always trusted in the ancestral power of herbs. It is a belief that connects us to the Arab world, where people traditionally incorporate products of natural origin into their diet to help maintain and maximize their good health.”
One of the brand’s most essential products is 100% Arabica coffee. This coffee is sown, planted, and carefully hand-selected by native communities in the country. It is produced in a region where the production of coffee is famed for its intense aroma and flavor of sweet chocolate notes with a long aftertaste.
Additionally, Restrepo said, “a true lover of this beverage understands that Colombia is a world leader in the production of mild coffee. Its geography, location, and soil richness make it a special premium coffee for the most exclusive palates. Now UAE residents and tourists can access this product all year, through the point of sale in one of the most significant shopping malls in the country, using our sales team,” said Restrepo.
On this occasion, Evok is celebrating the opening of the brand on Friday 16th of September at Concept + from 5:30 to 7:30 pm which will include free chocolate and coffee tasting.
Evok started its race to conquer markets in the Middle East with a strategy that, in addition to captivating end consumers, sought to expand into the food service sector. They aim to contact companies in the food industry and want to enhance other companies’ foods by offering a premium quality seal for their portfolio.
The brand’s other main products are chocolate bars made with cacao of the “Criollo” variety – the finest internationally. This offers a complete experience of flavors thanks to the mixture of tropical and exotic fruits from Colombia.
Founded in 2016, Evok’s shop offers an expansive variety of infusions and teas that contain blends of exotic plants grown and harvested in Colombia. This attempts to enter the burgeoning market of infusions and fruit teas in the Middle East, where consumption of these beverages continues to grow significantly.
The containers are made of biodegradable materials, such as sugar cane, and are environmentally friendly, which is why Evok has the Earth Pack seal. It is part of the differentials of the brand that today has 12 physical stores designed as places of experience and enjoyment for visitors.
Evok expects to be an essential player in the country’s wellness products category. This is founded on research and innovation, made under artisanal and sustainable processes. It is in line with what today’s consumers are looking for, more awareness of their self-care and that of the plane
Company profile
Company: Evok
Date started: December 2, 2016
Sector: F&B
Origin: Colombia
Based: Colombia, Dubai.
Co- creadors and founders: Cesar Restrepo, Nora Mejía
Spokesperson for interviews: Laura Torres, International Business Executive
Story
The story begins with two people from Antioquia, Colombia, who are lovers of mountain traditions and deeply believers in the ancient power of herbs and chocolate. They started looking for products with herbs, spices, and fruits, and thus Evok was born.
With an interdisciplinary team, they started working with a Colombian cocoa fruit processing company with more than 100 years of experience producing and marketing chocolate.
During the experience, they discovered the ancestral benefits of chocolate, such as its high percentage of fiber, perfect for giving a sense of well-being, and its antioxidant content (phenolic compounds) that reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
In 2013, they were one of the winning ventures of the entrepreneurship competition, the “Out of the Box” programme, after presenting all these benefits of cocoa and its incredible blends with herbs. On 2 December 2016, they launched their first physical shop in the El Tesoro business park in Medellín, Colombia.
