Sally shares sweet secrets to success

As a child, Sally Williams, the name behind the famous nougat brand, could be found at weekend markets happily sampling the many delights on offer.

From a young age she developed a passion for flavourful foods, which would tickle her taste buds.

During family gatherings, slivers of nougat would be passed around for all to enjoy. It was firm favourite throughout the household.

The nougat queen joined the Garlands Ladies Luncheon Club, at the Ebotse Country Club, on March 23 to share the secrets to her sweet success, although, by her own confession, Sally did not always know her way around the kitchen.

“When I got married, I had no idea what I was doing,” she said.

“I love food, but cooking was completely out of my depth so I hastily found a cooking school and was soon hand rolling my own pasta complimented with fragrant home-made sauces.”

Discovering her niche, Sally’s husband gifted her with a set of international cookbooks, which further piqued her interest in the splendour of the culinary world.

“When my second born was four-months-old, I happened across a classified advertisement of women seeking a culinary expert to teach them to cook,” Sally explained.

“I deemed myself to be up to the task and responded saying I would teach if I had a group of six interested ladies.

“A week later, the Sally Williams Culinary School was born, with eight eager women wanting to learn how to cook.”

Teaching the art of Italian cooking, Sally’s students, although impressed by her skills, asked if she could teach them simpler skills, such as making battered fish and chips or roast chicken.

“I was completely aghast. I could roll cannelloni like the best Italian chef, but fish and chips or even roast chicken were beyond my skillset,” she said.

“Knocking on family’s doors, I learnt the basics and fine-tuned the methods as I taught my students. My classes continued to grow with great success but at the age of 55, I was burnt out, desperate for a new challenge.”

Scouring through her cookbooks nibbling on a piece of nougat, which in her opinion lacked the full-bodied flavour of her once favourite childhood treat, Sally had an epiphany.

“The answer was lingering in my mouth, I will make as sell the country’s first good quality nougat,” said Sally.

“Mixing, blending, setting and cutting nougat in my kitchen, my students soon became my guinea pigs. For a year they tasted my products, yet not a single batch was hitting the mark.”

Needing to gain some perspective and clear her mind, Sally decided to put some distance between her and her kitchen and jetted off to Morocco, one of the countries on her bucket list.

Strolling through the narrow markets, she once again came face to face with her Achilles heel. Nougat could be found at nearly every stall.

“An unlucky fall resulting in a leg injury derailed my travels and I was soon in Tunisia,” she said.

“This, however, proved to be a stroke of good fortune as there in another crowded market in Hummamet, I happened upon the most exquisite nougat I had ever tasted.”

Speaking in broken French, Sally soon met the maker of the divine delight. “I asked the maker to accompany me back home to come make nougat for my business. He obviously refused but happily spent the afternoon teaching me,” she said.

“Upon returning home I am embarrassed to admit that I forgot everything he taught me and it took me another year to perfect.”

In 1999, armed with waxpaper-wrapped nougat, Sally hit the streets, negotiating and selling her signature sweets to local pharmacies and small retailers.

Making nougat at night and selling it during the day, Sally’s big break came when the owner of Sweets from Heaven took a bite of her product.

“He immediately placed an order but stipulated that my products will only be sold at his outlets if it is wrapped in branded wrappers,” she said.

“Branding was done in haste and soon Sally Williams Nougat was being sold far and wide. Exports followed and as they say, the rest is history.”

Expanding into a fully functional factory, Sally sold her stake in the business to her son-in-law, who still manages the business.

“Following my eventual retirement, my husband and I travelled extensively, enjoying adventures and spending quality time together,” she said.

“I am eternally grateful for this time, as six years later he became increasingly weak and eventually passed away.”

Of her success, Sally says nothing came easily but finding the motivation to persevere was a breeze.

“If you do something with passion, it is not work but food for your soul. I hope everyone will continue enjoying my treats knowing the recipe and methods were perfected so that passion is captured in every bite.”

The Garlands Ladies Luncheon Club will meet again on April 20.

For more information bookings contact or to book your seat, email Margie Kostelac at margie.h@mweb.co.za.

Guests are welcome.

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