We found ourselves entering social gatherings, snacks scattered recklessly around the table. Strawberries and carrots askew, we’d timidly ask, “Excuse me, where’s the labneh?”
Horrified—or worse—confused looks would turn our way. “Well, I don’t know about labneh, but we have some hummus,” these so-called friends would answer.
We’re Ilay and Hasan, two cheese-loving founders who grew up in Turkey, where labneh is a beloved staple.
Ilay, a McKinsey consultant turned cheesemaker, moved to New York from Istanbul to pursue her MBA. During that time, she followed her passion and worked on a farm milking cows and sheep and learned the art of making cheese from scratch.
Hasan, on the other hand, is a Berkeley engineer and an heir to one of Turkey's largest cheesemaking families. His grandfather, known as "The Cheese King" in Turkey, built the Bahcivan Gida factory from the ground up, transforming it into an empire.
Our paths serendipitously crossed at our previous job, and we bonded over our shared passion for dairy. Together, we embarked on a mission to make labneh a thing in the US and created BEZI: the labneh that labnehs better than any other labneh out there. High in protein, low in tang, and ready to party.
We’re incredibly humbled to have such amazing interest to what we love and dream of, from our Day 1. So, if you’re reading this, a huge thank you.
