Jim Konstas was all smiles last week, when his business House of Riz won the title of best dairy dessert in Australia for its Greek rice pudding.
Awarded at the 2017 Australian Grand Dairy Awards, the pudding is manufactured locally on site at a factory in Wantirna South and sold at various IGA stores and select supermarkets around Victoria.
“We had a fish and chip shop and we were selling (the pudding) there and it was walking out the door, so that’s where I got the idea of producing it on a large scale for supermarkets,” Mr Konstas told The Leader.
He also revealed the award was a particularly sweet victory, given that he had made the bold decision to sell the family home three years ago to ensure the business would survive.
“(Starting the business) took a lot out of us, it was hard, it’s a family business, my wife and kids are involved − it is a success now but in the first few years it was hard.
“We had to sell the family home to fund the business so that was the hardest thing we’ve ever done, making that call … but it paid off in the end,” he said.
The delicious rice pudding is made from a family recipe, using real milk to achieve its smooth texture.
To meet demand for his product, House of Riz will soon be relocating from Wantirna South to a new premises in Heidelberg from which it will commence supplying IGA stores throughout the country.
