Sally Williams’s nougat adventure

This women’s month, the Sandton Chronicle had a sit-down with Sandton’s very own nougat brand-innovator Sally Williams (80). Williams is internationally known for being the maker of the Sally Williams brand of nougat – a delicacy that Williams realised was her passion in the late-mid 1990s.

“Well, we used to love the Callard and Bowser nougat. A lot of people knew it – it came in blue packaging with the rice paper; it was delicious,” said Williams.

“And then, for some reason, you couldn’t get it in the country anymore. I suddenly thought, ‘hmmm, I think there’s a gap in the market for a good-quality South African nougat…’.”

According to Williams, it was from travelling in North Africa – and tasting each delicacy and treat the world had to offer a learner of the culinary arts that nougat presented itself as a challenge she wished to take upon herself-with the encouragement of her husband and children.

“I started practising. I went to Morocco with my husband before my son’s graduation, and the following year, I took a culinary group to Morocco,” Williams chronicled. “By chance, I went on to Tunisia in a place called Hammamet on the Mediterranean. In a very small town, they had a big market, and there was lots of nougat at this market. I tasted all the nougat, and the one was outstanding. I asked if they could take me to the nougat maker. I took a taxi – no Ubers then – and I went to his house.”

Williams recalled apprenticing under a French-speaking Tunisian nougat-maker who was operating from his garage.

“I think he thought this lady was mad. He was also outside in the garage, it was open, and he was making nougat with a big mixer. I said in my broken French that I love his nougat, I asked him if he was willing to teach me; then he said yes,” said Williams.

By December 1996, Sally Williams had created a product that enthused many confectionary lovers. At that stage in her career as an entrepreneur – Williams had already built up a reputable career associated with teaching cookery, as well as marketing food and kitchen supplies. Through this network, word-of-mouth connected Williams with the CEO of Sweets from Heaven at that time.

“We wrapped it in wax-wrap paper, and they were selling it at Sweets from Heaven as Spanish Nougat. My one son said to me, ‘You’ve got to brand it! Anybody can wrap in wax-wrap and make the sweets.’. We found a branding company, [and after] a lot of research and development; I wrote my signature and then each piece had my signature on S L Williams [in] the beginning of ’97,” Williams said.

“A nice lady called The Nut Lady. She helped me outsource packets and quick labels. We worked through the night. Then I went to Thrupps, in Illovo, and I took my samples, and they knew me because of my cookery school. They said to send them 100 packets on that same day. He phoned me the next day and he said to send him 500 packets.”

“We had to work around the clock. I would work 16/17 hours a day and go selling everywhere I could think of. Our net profit, in our first year [was] R1.4 million. We were employing 20 people by then.”

“There was a young woman I employed; I taught her to make the nougat. She just finished school. She came out of school and it was her first job. Young women can learn to make sweets, or do some baking, and do nicely. They just, I suppose, need direction. Maybe I can help somewhere. I’m 80 years old,” said Williams.

Related article:

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/332714/an-insightful-breakfast-for-sandton-small-business-owners/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/332815/terisa-hsu-lee-leads-the-charge-for-empowered-women/