The Gongora family is very proud to be celebrating their 45th year of making Tutsi Ideals! The story of how the ideal-making process of Tutsi has evolved over these 45 years is just as vibrant as the wide distribution networks and success it enjoys today.
The first ever Tutsi ideals were homemade back in 1979 by Gudelio and his wife Edelvia in the kitchen of their Belize City residence at the time. Only three years later, the couple was able to increase production to 3,000 bags, a day, using a single machine that had to be spun manually by Mr. Gudelio alone using tubing film.
By 1988, the growing business was able to employ four members of staff and acquired two more manual machines, the first of which Gudelio reconstructed himself. The availability of manual machines meant that production and mixing processes would all be done manually which was also time consuming.
Being a small business also meant that Gudelio would also be the delivery guy and salesperson while Edelvia stayed at the family shop on Vernon & Zericote in Belize City to sell Tutsi ideals as well as other packaged snacks, chips and cookies, which proved to be good compliments to the cold treats.
Great Strides were made in the evolution of Tutsi ideals when the very first fully automated machine was purchased in 1999 and in 2007 with the purchase of the second automatic machine. Today, Tutsi automatic machines have the capacity to seal 40 bags per minute.
By this time the name “Tutsi,” named by Edelvia, was then adopted and widely marketed using the first logo which depicted a happy boy drinking an ideal. In the years to follow, the logo would morph into a vibrant splash of colors using the Toucan as its brand image. These recognizable Belizean icons are quite appropriate for the 100% Belizean product.
Over the next three years, more updates to the production process would continue to follow suit. Today, mixing is now done in larger stainless steelstainless-steel tanks powered by automatic electrical mixers. Pumps and other motors are now used to allow the flow of juices into the machines and daily production ranges from 40,000 – 50,000 Tutsi Ideals.!
While today, the staff has grown to 14 members and automation of machinery reduced manual labor to one individual, the growth of Tutsi ideals over the decades has not been without its fair amount of challenges. Often times, the fluctuation of sales cycles seems uncertain and over-bearing.
With much support and team effort of the members of the Gongora family as well as continuous support from the network of local, and Central American suppliers, Tutsi was able to overcome the many hurdles in becoming today a successful beverage (ideal) producer with wide distribution in Belize City.
Today, after 32 years of making ideals and gradually improving the quality and taste, the Gongora Family can be proud of contributing to the many happy faces of kids as well as to appreciate Tutsi’s immergence into a true Belizean tradition.
Tutsi Ideal, despite the entrance into markets of other commercial and homemade qualities, continues to shine as a popular cold treat across Belize.
It is popular belief that the term ideal surfaced in Belize in the 1960s with the use of ‘Ideal Condensed Milk’ at the time commonly sold on top of shaved ice by street vendors. As a result of this tradition, it appears that today’s version of an ideal has emerged.
In the first years of operation, Tutsi Ideals were offered in only 6 flavors – strawberry, grape, pineapple, lime, raspberry and orange. Today, this number has more than doubled adding to the product line very popular flavors such as punch, citrus punch, apple, cola, coconut, and bubble gum.
Among, the well-liked and available Tutsi Milky Ideals include pineapple, strawberry, chocolate, coconut, white chocolate and orange.
