For sisters Sarab and Mandeep Hans, going to work every day means more than it might for other people. For them, it’s about upholding a legacy and writing the next chapter of their family business, Hans Dairy. Read on to learn more about the company’s origins, as well as what’s on the horizon for this beloved brand.
When you look into the origin stories of most companies, you’re likely to find a great idea and the team of people who believed in it. The story behind Hans Dairy is so much more. In the beginning, it wasn’t just about creating a line of great-tasting dairy products—it was, and still is, about honouring heritage and building community. For Sarab and Mandeep Hans, it’s also about continuing a family legacy started by their parents, based on shared values; these values include an unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction and uncompromising quality. Keep reading to learn more about Sarab and Mandeep, and how they turned their parents’ dairy business into the thriving, beloved brand it is today.
From the Personal to the Commercial
Hans Dairy was built on a mission to retain the tastes of home for the South Asian community. Gurdarshan and Joginder Hans had immigrated from India to Canada in 1975, and, as is common for South Asians, they continued with their at-home practice of making yogurt and cheeses. As the years went by, it became clear that the South Asian demographic was being underserved, and that the products they knew and loved from home were difficult to find commercially. If people didn’t make their own lassi, dahi or makhan, for example, they struggled to find it. Out of this reality, and despite Gurdarshan and Joginder already being in their 60s, Hans Dairy was launched in 1997. The company started with fluid milk only, but when their daughters Sarab and Mandeep stepped into management roles, the product line expanded in leaps and bounds.
Continuing the Family Legacy
Picture this: It’s 2006, and Sarab is working as an investment banker in New York. Her parents approach her about taking over the family business so they can retire. Sarab jumps at the chance and moves back to Toronto to take on the challenge. It was an interesting time, because the company was just the bricks-and-mortar operation at that point, but Sarab worked with her parents for two years to really start to grow the business.
After a while, though, it became clear that more hands were needed, so Sarab approached her sister, Mandeep, to see if she was interested in joining her at the helm of Hans Dairy. Mandeep took some time off of her job to work with Sarab for a few weeks and quickly realized that she could contribute in a really positive way. Today, Sarab is the president of Hans Dairy, and Mandeep is the director of sales and marketing.
Tackling Challenges and Building the Business
Taking on leadership roles at Hans Dairy was not without obstacles. The sisters realized that there was a steep learning curve to the processing side of their business. They were also women in a male-dominated industry, and they struggled to be taken seriously. Plus, they lacked the connections they needed to continue to move the needle. They were lucky that their parents had already invested so much time and energy (“It was their baby,” Sarab and Mandeep say), but there was major work to be done if the company was going to continue to grow.
Fortunately, Sarab and Mandeep have always been passionate about the business, and they never shied away from the complexities in their path. In fact, they embraced each challenge with the knowledge that they would be able to invest their learnings back into the company. As a result, they have turned obstacles into opportunities, and have been able to introduce myriad products that serve the South Asian community and beyond. Most recently, after learning that the South Asian population has the most lactose intolerance of any other ethnic community, the company introduced lactose-free dahi (the first of its kind in Canada!).
South Asian Flavours Made with Canadian Ingredients
What’s especially interesting about the Hans Dairy line of products is the mashup of cultures. Sarab and Mandeep are dedicated to creating products that are vessels of South Asian memories and traditions, but with an eye to bridge cultures and give back to the people they serve. That’s why the Hans Dairy line of products is created with natural, local ingredients only (98 percent of inputs are purchased in Canada). Each product features five or fewer ingredients that are easily recognizable, so you can be confident in what you’re serving your family. They are uncompromising in this mission—even when the market is pushing for products with longer shelf lives.
This steadfast commitment pays off in spades when it comes to their customers. For Sarab and Mandeep, the best compliment came from an older woman, who was of similar age to their grandmother. She told the women that their products taste just like what she makes at home, so she doesn’t feel the need to make her own dahi and lassi anymore. Talk about a full circle moment that honours the Hans family legacy.
For product information, great recipes and where products are sold, check out hansdairy.com, and be sure to follow us on social media @hansdairy.
