Mero Mero passion for food helps fuel successful business
TRYING to sell Mexican tacos and salsa to customers 20 years ago was slightly more difficult than it is now – something that was part of the challenge of establishing an authentic cuisine business at that time.
“You could spend half an hour explaining to someone what salsa is, and then they would say ‘no I’m off to buy jam’,” said Theresa Hernandez, co-founder of Mero Mero Mexico.
“Nobody knew what tacos were then.”
Along with her husband, Mexican native Gustavo, the pair started selling authentic cuisine at Temple Bar Market in 1997, but their passion for cooking local produce allied with a changing environment has helped to fuel the business.
She continued: “Now the culture has changed, look at how multicultural Dublin has become, more information is available on the internet, people are more informed today.”
A strong family connection to Mexico is a significant factor in establishing Mero Mero as a go to place for an authentic taste of the country’s fabulous flavour.
Each time the pair travel back from visiting family, they bring as much spices and chilis as they legally can.
“Finding and sourcing the right product has been a big challenge since 1997,” said Theresa.
“Dried chilis are the backbone of Mexican cuisine – over there you can have six to seven different chilis on every corner store. Overall there are 26 different chilis, we bring back as much as we can, but they don’t have to be too spicy.”
After outgrowing their market stall in Temple Bar, Mero Mero moved to a permanent kitchen base at the Partas building in Tallaght Enterprise Centre in 2013.
Joining the Supervalu Food Academy Programme in 2016 was another major step for the small business, as it allows their signature soups – Frijoles Black Bean and Charros Beans Butternut Squash and Chorizo – to be accessible for customers on store shelves across the country.
Theresa continued: “The markets were a good place to start, but customers then wanted to know what shops they could get our soups in.
“It takes up a lot of time going to stores, but dealing with the different Supervalu shops managers, they’ve been great. They know we have been through hoops and meet manufacturers requirements. What they want is people who make local food and have a passion for it. They don’t want to be seen as a faceless megastore.”
The next step for Mero Mero is to find a distributor, which would allow the pair to concentrate on what they love to do – cook.
They have three hot sauces which are close to getting the greenlight for stores – from Chipotle, which is ‘tame’, to Fuego ‘mad hot’ and a medium Habanero with mango, to cater for all tastes.
“Our main focus is that we are making really deliciously flavoursome food,” said Theresa.
“A lot of commercial stuff is based on heat not flavour.”
Today Mero Mero supply their sauces to a new vendor in Temple Bar market, also to a their own K Chido truck, which operates seven days a week near the Four Courts.
“It is based in the Fagans Food Service cash and carry, the truck sells dry chilis, corn tortillas, classic Mexican cuisine.
“We also make fajitas for local businesses, work places, private events, and are grateful to the County Fair in the Tallaght Enterprise Centre and John Kearns for allowing us to supply their artisan café and bring our products to more people.”
Mero Mero will also be appearing at the upcoming Tinahely Agricultural Show in Wicklow on August 7, a place they have had a stall at for 18 years.
Their first year in Tinahely was a success, with their young four-month-old baby at the time, Isabel, winning a bonny baby competition.
“Isabel was in the car seat and a sheep jumped over her, with me trying to rugby block her from the sheep,” said Theresa.
“There was muck on her face from the sheep which we cleaned off, but she won the competition anyway, and we received a massive hamper. It’s a terrific festival for meeting people and customers, there is a great sense of camaraderie amongst the vendors and people who attend.”
