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More infoŠtěpán's story
It all started with a true hummus in 2011. We've come a long way since then and it's not just about hummus anymore.
I set out to fulfil my own dream with passion in 2011. And it all started with hummus. After several visits to the Near East and sampling typical dishes, I fell under the spell of Israeli traditions.The idea of I love Hummus started to form in my head. A few months later I started a small family business in the Czech Republic. After a short time, my 84-year-old grandmother, who had been watching over the chickpeas from the beginning, could no longer manage at the chickpea pots on her own. The team began to expand, as did the product range. In 2017, I included Kimchi among my products. And it was a success! A move to a new factory, new flavours, a growing team, exports to neighbouring countries, and the arrival of my son Josef. I decided to celebrate the tenth anniversary of I love Hummus with a big change. It’s not just about hummus anymore. We lovingly ferment vegetable salads for you under the brand Beavia (from Latin for ‘blessed journey’) – pure food. pure love. You can still find our hummus under the I love Hummus brand, nothing has changed. Beavia is the next chapter in our story about the love of good food and a healthy lifestyle.
Join us on our happy journey.
Štěpán Hodač
Founder of I love Hummus, newly BeaviaFulfilling own dream
I find my job of a real estate agent boring
I am spending a lot of time in the library of the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, trying to find all necessary information to hummus manufacturing. I am cooking hummus every day to find the right recipe.
The first product label is created during one evening
I am delivering to almost all health food stores in Prague. A mistake in planning starts showing effect. I have money only for raw materials and gas into my car. I am eating only vegetable for two months.
Grandma Viasat's house reapproved as food production establishment
Hurray, I am not alone in all this anymore, I have first employee, Martin.
I love Hummus, s.r.o. is founded. I am buying my first van. We are expanding into other cities
We are delivering to Central Bohemian region as well as to Plzeň and Brno. The first partner, Abrahám, is joining in.
We are re-designing our labels for the first time
We are expecting higher marketability, however, a 40% drop in sales is recorded.The third partner, my friend Tomas, on board.
Kimchi is landing on the counters
We are moving into a big production facility in Všechlapy! So far we have been operating in my grandma's house, where the kitchen had the area of the whole 12m².
The old is leaving and the new is coming
Abraham and Tomas, whom I thank for a good part of our common journey, decide to leave, while Mr. and Mrs. Lhotak join in as new partners.
For the 10th anniversary we are changing the brand, Beavia is created
Our focus is on fermented foods. The products are available in the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
The Beavia brand gains success at home and abroad
We expand our range with new fermented products: miso, luggi, cabbage kimchi, and fermented beetroot. We start selling on Amazon.de and continue exporting internationally. We're building a strong foundation for the Beavia brand.
We grow, innovate, and enter retail
We enlarge our production facility, increase output, and introduce new formats – such as an unrefrigerated line of fermented salads. Our range expands with sauerkraut with fennel and dill, yumchi seasonings, and convenient new packaging. We enter brick-and-mortar retail and strengthen our team.
Production story
Production is our passion. Peeling, cleaning, slicing and mixing done by hand and with love. Every day we process tonnes of vegetables in our own factory in Všechlapy near Benešov using the latest technology for filling jars by machine. Our products are purely natural, with no added preservatives or added sugar. During the season, we buy vegetables from Czech farmers and pay attention to their quality. In the off-season, we carefully select them from European growers.
The fermentation process takes place in special vats in precisely defined conditions. We lovingly measure pH (acidity) and sensory properties each day to ensure that every glass on your table adds a touch of perfect refreshment to your meal.
Fermentation story
Fermentation is our everyday joy. The magic of fermentation was already known to our grandmothers as an age-old way of preserving food without refrigeration and without adding any kind of additional preservatives. It is the process of converting organic matter from more complex substances to simpler ones using friendly bacteria and their enzymes. The conditions created during fermentation are unfavourable for any hostile bacteria that cause spoilage of food. Fermented delicacies provide our bodies with beneficial probiotic bacteria and enzymes to aid our digestion, to support our immunity and to keep us fit.
Why will you fall in love with Beavia fermented foods?
• Fermented foods are easier to digest than non-fermented ones. • They contain probiotic cultures of Lactobacillus with a minimum of 10² CFU/g to 10⁷ CFU/g, depending on the type of fermented vegetables. • They have a low energy value (except for beetroot). • With ginger to support normal digestion. • With garlic for immunity and normal heart function. • Kimchi is among the top 5 health-beneficial foods, as stated by Health magazine (March, 2006).
Planet's story
Sustainability is part of our ‘blessed journey’. We compost. We actively sort waste. In the future we would like to switch to solar power.
We are part of the EKO-KOM programme – a system for collection and recycling of packaging waste and one of the largest environmental projects in the Czech Republic. We actively cooperate with the village of Všechlapy, where the heart of our production is located. Local employees are a priority for us. All of our packaging is fully recyclable and can be reused (reuse-recycle). We have switched to water-removable labels for all fermented products so that they can be sorted more easily,
and we write articles to raise awareness about the recyclability of waste, why to buy organic foods, whether glass is better than plastic packaging, the importance of high-quality water and the possibility of renewable resources.
113
coloured recycling bins
Thanks to our participation in the EKO-KOM system, we ensured the operation and servicing of 113 coloured recycling bins in 2024. This enabled 750 residents to recycle their waste.
84
tons of CO₂
Our total contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 is 84 tons of CO₂ equivalent, which corresponds to the emissions produced by 14 mid-size diesel cars per year.
193
days
The energy we saved in 2024 corresponds to approximately 193 days of electricity consumption used for public lighting in Prague – a total of 2,224 GJ of energy.