Blog Strengthening production and expanding markets at Cherubet Foods
Mary Maritim’s Cherubet Foods Ltd in Nairobi, Kenya, with the support of PABRA, Sall Foundation and Global Affairs Canada, stabilized production of ready-to-eat bean products in 2026, boosting access to nutritious foods, farmer sourcing, and women’s employment.
In Kenya’s rapidly growing cities, demand for convenient, nutritious food continues to rise. More urban families are looking for affordable meals that save time without compromising quality, yet many of the most nutritious indigenous foods, especially those rich in iron and zinc, remain difficult to access at scale.
Cherubet Foods Ltd, a woman-led agrifood enterprise based in Nairobi, is working to close that gap. The company processes and packages ready-to-eat bean products. It operates a fully in-house production facility and a direct sourcing model that links the factory to farmers including Abosi Top Hill Cooperative members in Bomet and now to the newly linked Ushirikiano Women Group in Kiambogo, Nakuru County. Today, the company employs 40 workers, 97% of them women and 60% youth.
Some of the products by Cherubet
However, even a working enterprise can struggle when the systems behind it are fragile. Despite securing shelf space in more than 126 retail outlets across Kenya, Cherubet’s operations remained fragile. The company had built strong market acceptance, but production systems were not yet stable enough to sustain growth. Utilization of installed capacity stood at only 20%, limiting efficiency and profitability. Also, the product portfolio relied heavily on frozen foods, increasing dependence on cold chain logistics and driving energy costs to approximately KES 80,000 per month. These costs constrained margins and made scaling difficult.
