The story of MedinaFood began with a love for home cooking and a desire to turn a favorite hobby into a business.In 2020, Symbat Bauyrzhanqyzy began preparing food at home together with an assistant. She had always enjoyed cooking, and her culinary skills were well known among her family and friends.Her friends became her first customers. They began ordering frozen manty, dumplings, liver cakes and other homemade dishes.Gradually, the number of orders increased. Recommendations from satisfied customers became the most effective form of promotion. Through word of mouth, the customer base continued to grow, along with production volumes.

“When I was just starting out, I had a small home kitchen and a strong desire to do what I loved. I never imagined that the first orders from my friends would eventually grow into a real business. The most important thing is not to be afraid to start small, to love what you do, and to always take responsibility for the quality of your product.”

— Symbat Bakytzhanova, Head of IE “Imanali” (MedinaFood)

Before long, the capacity of the home kitchen was no longer sufficient to handle the growing number of orders. A month later, the entrepreneur rented a separate apartment, where she organized the preparation of food and the production of homemade semi-finished products.

However, the business continued to grow.A year later, Symbat Bauyrzhanqyzy rented a separate facility and expanded production. By that time, her team had grown to three cooks.Thus, what began as a small home-based business serving friends and acquaintances gradually developed into a fully established enterprise.One of the main challenges in developing the business was finding reliable, permanent employees. Building a stable and professional team became an important task that had to be addressed as the business grew.Today, the semi-finished food products market is highly competitive. In such an environment, it is important not only to attract new customers but also to earn their trust.For MedinaFood, the key competitive advantage is the quality of its products.

“To remain competitive in the market, you need to produce a high-quality product. For us, it is important that a customer does not simply place an order once, but comes back again and recommends our products to family and friends.”

Customer trust and a constant focus on quality allow MedinaFood to continue growing and maintaining its position in the market.

In 2024, IE “Imanali” received a loan of KZT 25 million with the support of the Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund.

The funds were allocated for further business development:

KZT 15 million — for the purchase of premises;

KZT 10 million — for renovation and the purchase of the necessary equipment.

The financing made it possible to improve production conditions, strengthen the company's material and technical base, and create a solid foundation for further business development.

For the entrepreneur, the support provided by the Damu Fund became an important step in the transition from small-scale home production to a larger and more sustainable business.

Today, behind the MedinaFood brand are years of hard work, accumulated experience and a constant drive for development.Symbat Bakytzhanqyzy's journey began with a small home kitchen, the first orders from friends and just a few types of semi-finished products. Through hard work, customer trust and belief in her business, the enterprise gradually grew and gained new opportunities for development.The MedinaFood story is a vivid example of how a favorite hobby can grow into a fully established and promising business.

The key is to love what you do, not be afraid to start small, and work every day to improve the quality of your product.

Address: Astana, Baitursynova, 6

Contact details: +7 707 527 22 17

Instagram: @medinafood_astana