to tell the story of brundo, we have to begin with cafe colucci.
Ethiopian born and raised, Fettlework created the small family-owned restaurant in 1991 Berkeley with the hope of serving and educating her community about the wonders and beauty of East African cuisine. The restaurant captured hearts throughout the local community, but about a decade later, she began running into issues consistently sourcing high quality, authentic spices (an integral part of Ethiopian cooking), namely because a robust supply chain did not exist. Fettlework decided to take control of our supply chain, returned to Ethiopia and established a small-scale spice production facility in Modjo, a village a few hours from the capital.
What didn’t go to the restaurant, we began to sell. There was little to no visibility of the flavors that came out of the Continent, but as the global appetite for these spices grew, so did our mission. We invested more of our time into growing Brundo, developing relationships with local farmers in Modjo, importing products to Oakland, and, eventually, sharing the beloved and traditional Ethiopian pantry and flavors with the world. Cheers, The Brundo Team
Cheers,
The Brundo Team
Our founder, Fetlework age 16 at school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fettlework recognized as Miss Black Essence, 1976
Our roots. A vintage poster for our roots, Chibbo, an Afrocentric night club, bar & grill.
Putting the family in family business. Colucci, 1991
Colucci’s anniversary party. 90’s baby.
Fettlework happily greeting customers in the early 2000s.
Cooking with Michelin chefs.
It’s official! Cafe Colucci gets Michelin recognition.
Opening the plant in Modjo, Ethiopia, 2011
Our founder, Fettlework Tefferi honored as Black Women in Food trailblazer, 2024
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
our mission: introduce the flavors of east africa to the world using transparency, equity, sustainability, and empowerment.
spices for everyday in every way
ethiopian essentials
The flavors you think of when you think about Ethiopian cooking.
brundo’s blends
Explore more flavor profiles from Ethiopia.
seeds & herbs
Single origin heirlooms that work in many cuisines.
