How Karukera Tradisyon Turns Breadfruit and Bananas Into Flours the Way Guadeloupe Has for Generations
- Agrilinkage
- 13 hours ago
- 7 min read
Karukera Tradisyon transforms breadfruit and bananas into gluten-free flours, mixing Guadeloupean traditions with modern production standards. Founded in 2022 by Thomas Norval, the company is now in every major retail chain across Guadeloupe (Carrefour, Leclerc, Monoprix, and Auchan) and is preparing to expand into mainland France and international markets. Agrilinkage sat down with Norval to understand how these tropical flours are winning over new markets. Our mission is simple: spotlight the entrepreneurs transforming agriculture, uncover the real stories behind products, and decode the strategies that open international markets.
From Trading to Tropical Flours: A Career Change Driven by Purpose
In 2022, during his final year of university, Thomas Norval launched Karukera Tradisyon. His background was unusual. At the time, he was active in trading, working in a completely digital world with no connection to physical production. It was exactly this distance from reality that made him want to change.
"I felt this urge to disconnect from screens, to do something more concrete where I could see direct value being created for consumers."
This search for meaning led him to take seasonal work at his uncle's bakeries, where he discovered the huge volumes of flour needed to run the business. The observation opened his eyes: just a few bakeries could go through tons of flour each month.
The business idea hit when an aunt finished training on working with dehydrated products. The opportunity became clear: produce flour locally from tropical fruits. The first tests started with a practical, hands-on approach. The team tried different recipes and gave them to the uncle's bakery to test with real customers. This method helped them quickly identify which products people liked and adjust the recipes.
Development followed a careful path: local trade shows to test reception, first sales in specialty stores, then gradual growth into small, medium, and large retail. Today, Karukera Tradisyon is in Guadeloupe's major retail chains: Carrefour, Monoprix, Leclerc, Casino, and Auchan.
Learning Production: From 200 Grams to Industrial Scale
The early days showed the reality of moving from idea to production. Thomas describes the first steps honestly: buying small dehydrators and grinders from regular stores, time-consuming processes where 7 to 8 hours of dehydration were followed by 3 hours of processing to get just 200 to 300 grams of flour.
"We really started with very limited resources."
This handmade phase, far from being a weakness, turned out to be valuable. It let the team improve each step of the process, deeply understand how raw materials behave, and create a standard production method before investing in better equipment.
Karukera Tradisyon's core business focuses on dehydration, followed by grinding to make flour. This seemingly simple process actually requires precise technical skills to guarantee consistent quality in the final product. Today, the company uses industrial equipment while keeping a handmade approach that respects the product and its nutritional benefits.
Breadfruit: When History Drives Innovation
Karukera Tradisyon's main product isn't banana, as you might think, but breadfruit. This strategic choice comes from a deep cultural tradition in Guadeloupe.
During World War II, the island went through a difficult period when imports almost completely stopped. Local people turned to their own resources, developing ways to transform and preserve food. It was during this time that breadfruit flour really emerged: fruits were sliced, dried in the sun, then ground and stored. These practices date back to the 1940s and have been passed down through generations.
Breadfruit gets its name from its ability to feed people. A nutritious fruit that grows on a tree, it can feed an entire family and can be prepared many ways: grilled, roasted, fried. This flexibility and abundance made it a substitute for bread, which explains its name.
Karukera Tradisyon keeps these old methods alive while adapting them to modern requirements. The process stays basically the same: dehydration (industrial rather than solar to guarantee consistency and volume), grinding, milling, sifting. The result: a completely natural flour with no additives that keeps the fruit's nutritional benefits while lasting a long time.
This connection between tradition and modernity is the company's DNA. It lets them offer a product rich in cultural meaning while meeting the quality and food safety standards of today's market.
Strategic Sourcing and Circular Economy
The quality of the flours depends directly on the quality of raw materials. Karukera Tradisyon has built its sourcing around stable partnerships with certified organic suppliers. These partners follow strict rules about size and quality, guaranteeing consistency in the products received.
Thomas's approach embraces a circular economy model that makes real sense. The company uses bananas that are perfectly healthy and high quality but rejected from normal distribution because of how they look or their size. This strategy offers two benefits: reducing food waste while securing a reliable supply of premium raw materials at good prices.
Since suppliers are certified organic, Karukera Tradisyon offers an organic banana flour line, though currently only banana has this certification among all raw materials used.
The production process follows careful protocols: treatment with biological products to prevent contamination, thorough cleaning, controlled dehydration, grinding, milling, sifting.
Each step has been standardized to ensure consistent quality no matter the production volume. This standardization is essential for meeting large retail requirements and confidently planning national expansion.
Certifications: Essential Investment for Credibility
In the food industry, trust depends on real, verifiable proof. Karukera Tradisyon has invested in the certifications needed to guarantee product quality and safety.
The company uses Pasteur Institute analyses for bacterial safety and food security, plus organic certification checked twice a year.
"Certifications are a big investment, but they're essential. They're what reassures distributors and consumers."
Thomas emphasizes that these investments are a key business argument, especially when targeting markets far from your production area or large-scale distribution. The more distant and demanding the target market, the more important these certifications become in distributors' buying decisions.
The company is currently working to get new certifications for the French national market, especially to specify nutritional values with nationally recognized certification bodies. These certifications, more expensive than those required for the local market, are essential for accessing mainland distribution channels.
Premium Positioning in a Blue Ocean
The business strategy is based on premium positioning. In the local market, this approach sets the company apart from competitors who mostly focus on mid-range or budget products.
At the national level, this difference becomes critical. Thomas clearly sees the opportunity:
"In mainland France, we'd be the only ones making tropical gluten-free flours."
Gluten-free flours do exist in France, but none offer the specific tropical flavors that Karukera Tradisyon provides. This difference isn’t just marketing , it comes from the unique nature of the Guadeloupean island market, says Thomas.
The company now positions itself as a producer-wholesaler, working only in B2B. The pricing structure adapts: catalog prices for individuals through the website, about 20% discount for professionals, specific rates for distributors and buying centers.
Geographic Expansion: From Local to International
Beyond Guadeloupe, distribution reaches neighboring islands: Martinique, Dominica, Saint Martin, and some English-speaking islands. These markets let them test logistics outside their home territory.
Guadeloupe's French status makes expansion to the mainland easier. Administrative steps are the same; only logistics costs differ. A logistics platform already enables delivery to any business or individual in mainland France within 48 hours.
The company tested the national market through the Paris Fair with a distributor. Beyond Europe, the American market is among the strategic goals. Miami and New York have been identified as priority entry points.
"We participated in the Creole Food Festival in New York in 2024. Chefs presented dishes using our flours. The reception was really encouraging."
For this market, Thomas prefers a practical approach: working with a local distributor who knows the legal, regulatory, and logistics aspects. Samples have also been sent to Benin, exploring other potential markets.
The Marketing Shift
During its first years, Karukera Tradisyon kept a low profile in communication. The priority was building a solid professional network, improving processes, and getting placements in major retail chains.
This phase is now ending.
"Now that we have the main distribution networks we wanted, marketing becomes more important and necessary for establishing ourselves long-term."
The goal: turn shelf presence into brand awareness. Advertising campaigns, both physical and digital, are being launched to strengthen this visibility.
Guadeloupe as a Business Asset
Beyond the quality of its products, Karukera Tradisyon benefits from Guadeloupe's positive international image. The island has real recognition, especially thanks to its rum, which competes with the best Caribbean products in both volume and taste quality.
In agriculture, bananas are the island's most exported product. One detail worth noting: the cane sugar found in mainland France comes mostly from Guadeloupe. This presence on French shelves creates familiarity with Guadeloupean products that can make it easier to accept new items like tropical flours.
This reputation, combined with Karukera Tradisyon's authentic approach, is a significant business asset in the company's national and international development.
A Clear Vision: Tradition, Health, and Accessibility
Beyond business strategies and expansion goals, Thomas Norval has a precise vision for his company. Karukera Tradisyon positions itself above all as a carrier of culture and expertise, sharing through its products an ancestral Guadeloupean heritage while meeting modern expectations for health and nutrition.
The gluten-free flours appeal to several consumer groups: people with gluten intolerance of course, but also athletes looking for quality carbohydrate sources, and more broadly anyone who wants to improve their digestive comfort. The high fiber content of some flours, combined with their completely natural composition (no additives), makes them especially good for daily use.
For professionals, the company shows an attitude of openness and flexibility.
"We work in volume, we adapt to each client's specific needs. We're always open to negotiation."
A systematic sampling approach lets potential distributors test products, see how their customers respond, and make informed decisions.
The stated goal remains measured but determined: continue growing in volume while keeping as close as possible to the handmade methods that guarantee product quality and authenticity. A delicate balance between growth and keeping their identity that Thomas Norval seems to have identified as the guiding principle of Karukera Tradisyon's development.
To discover Karukera Tradisyon's complete range and place orders, visit their website: https://karukeratradisyon.com/ Follow the company on Instagram and Facebook to discover updates and new products.
