OATFUL

improve my overall performance. When it came to nutrition, unfortunately, you don’t learn much about it in school... So I took it into my own hands. The more I began to learn, the more I would go into the kitchen and experiment. When I stumbled upon overnight oats, I become obsessed and would have it every single day, testing out different flavour combinations… And that’s when it all started...” says the young entrepreneur.

“Having a healthy and delicious breakfast is really important and I want to help people maximise their potential by owning their morning.”

When naming the brand, Oatful was the first name that I thought of and it resonates with what I believe in – full of nutrients, full of flavour and full of life.”

All flavours not only have over 20 grams of protein, but they’re also jam-packed with superfoods and plenty of fibre. And Yara’s favourite mix? “I’m going to be biased as I developed all the flavours myself, but if I had to pick it would be vanilla because it’s so versatile and can be paired with loads of different toppings.”

@shopoatful

Robyn Fok Founder

Having grown up in Abu Dhabi in a family of animal lovers, ROBYN FOK, the founder of RORY’S APAWTHECARY realised that dog owners in the UAE were missing out on a pet wellness brand that truly cares about animals.

“At the core of RORY’S APAWTHECARY, we care about animals and their well-being,” says Robyn. “Dogs don’t speak and as pet parents, it’s our responsibility to make sure that our pets are taken care of.”

So how did the brand get started? “When I was living in New York after college, my sister and I adopted Rory, an American cocker spaniel... She was the cutest thing ever. Rory went everywhere with me – it was always Robyn and Rory. When I moved back to Abu Dhabi, Rory came with me and was undoubtedly our family’s favourite family member. She passed away last year and is the inspiration behind the brand. Technically Rory is our founder and ‘apawthecary’ is a play on words for apothecary.”

“After we rescued Rory, we started dabbling with natural products for her... Fragrances and stuff like that... It was a very organic way of starting the business. Our products aren’t just nice perfumes or nice shampoos. It’s not just another dog conditioner. Everything that we use to create our products is well thought out. Our brand comes from a place of love. Our range is plant-based, organic, natural and even the accessories are made with azo-free printing meaning they’re toxin-free.”

And how does Robyn see the brand developing the coming years? “We’re more dog-focused but I’d love to have a range for cats one day. I love all animals and a healing brand for animals goes beyond just dogs.”