At Typical Spanish, we love discovering the stories behind independent businesses: the people, the culture, the hard work and the dreams that turn an idea into something real.
In our latest podcast, we sat down with Mauricio and María, the couple behind Obleas To Go, to hear how their Colombian food business began and how it has grown in the UK.
Their story is about much more than food. It is about family, immigration, perseverance, learning and having the courage to keep moving forward.
From Colombia to a New Beginning in the UK
Mauricio and María brought with them something extremely valuable: their Colombian roots and a desire to share part of their culture with the people around them.
Their business began in 2023, initially centred around obleas, a traditional Colombian sweet made with thin wafers and different fillings.
But starting a business was not simply a matter of having a good product.
They had to learn how things worked in the UK, understand the regulations, develop their products and find customers — all while adapting to life in a different country.
Mauricio and María built the original cart together.
That cart became the starting point for something much bigger.
Starting Small and Learning Along the Way
Like many independent businesses, Obleas To Go did not begin as the business it is today.
It evolved.
Mauricio and María listened to their customers, experimented and gradually expanded what they offered.
The business moved beyond obleas and introduced more Colombian favourites, including beef empanadas, chicken empanadas and cheese arepas.
The cheese arepas and beef empanadas became some of their most popular products.
But growth also brought new challenges.
Making everything fresh meant constantly thinking about preparation, refrigeration, storage and food safety. Over time, they redesigned their production system and invested in equipment that allowed them to work much more efficiently.
One example shows just how dramatically the business changed. Mauricio explains that making around 100 empanadas by hand could take him an hour. After introducing a machine, production could reach approximately 1,000 empanadas per hour.
Getting that machine was not easy. They applied for finance in the UK specifically to buy it, but their application was rejected. They eventually found another way to get the machine and continue moving the business forward.
It is a good example of something that appears repeatedly throughout their story: when one route did not work, they looked for another.
Fresh Food Made with Pride
For María, making fresh, homemade food is fundamental.
Her philosophy is simple. She follows the golden rule: don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you.
That is why she wants to give her customers the same quality that she would expect to receive herself.
That attitude extends to every part of the business, particularly cleanliness and food safety. During the interview, she explains how seriously she takes the kitchen, from handling raw ingredients correctly to preventing cross-contamination.
It is not simply about selling food.
It is about being proud of what reaches the customer.
And perhaps one of the greatest rewards comes immediately afterwards: seeing people’s reactions when they eat something she has prepared herself.
For María, watching customers enjoy her food is something that touches her heart and, in her own words, fills her soul.
The Moment the Business Became Real
Opening their own premises was another major step.
They did not know exactly what to expect.
María remembers being extremely nervous on that first Saturday.
Then the customers started arriving.
They ended up with three queues.
Mauricio was still working from their original cart on the other side of the market because he was not yet convinced that the new premises would be successful.
María had to call him and tell him to come over.
They needed him.
The place was busy.
Very busy.
It was one of those moments when years of ideas, preparation and uncertainty suddenly become something real.
And some of the customers who supported them when they were operating from the cart are still their customers today.
Family at the Centre of Everything
Perhaps the most emotional part of Mauricio and María’s story is the role of their daughter.
She helps with the business when her studies allow, but what matters most to her parents goes much deeper.
María explains that one of her greatest rewards is seeing the pride in her daughter’s eyes when she talks about the family business.
Their daughter speaks proudly about what her parents have created and has contributed her own ideas too, even helping to organise the premises.
For her parents, that means a great deal.
The business is therefore not simply a way of earning a living. It has also become part of the example they want to set for their daughter.
When the work is exhausting and their feet and backs hurt, they remember why they are doing it.
They want her to see what resilience means.
They want her to understand what it means to keep going when something is difficult.
Their message is simple:
Don’t give up.
In Business, the Path Is Never Straight
Towards the end of our conversation, we asked what they would say to someone who dreams of starting a business but is afraid to take the first step.
Their answer was not simply to take risks without thinking.
First, prepare yourself.
Learn about the business.
Understand what you need to do.
Accept that having a dream is not enough on its own. You also have to be prepared to do the work that the dream requires.
And then, take the step.
Mauricio describes entrepreneurship in a very visual way:
The path is not straight. The path has a lot of curves.
You learn, you adapt and you keep going.
Fear is part of that journey too. Mauricio speaks openly about feeling afraid at different moments in his life and acknowledges that sometimes he has doubted himself.
María has often been the person who gives him strength and pushes him to keep moving forward.
That partnership has become another fundamental part of their story.
And the Dream Keeps Growing
Obleas To Go is not the end of their ambition.
Mauricio and María are already thinking about the future.
Because their business now offers much more than obleas, they have discussed how the brand could evolve to better represent the wider range of Colombian food they sell.
They also dream of opening more locations and taking their concept to different cities — and perhaps one day, different countries.
And there is another dream: Colombian coffee.
In the future, they would like to buy land in Colombia, grow coffee, be involved in the entire process themselves and bring that coffee to the UK to serve and sell through their businesses.
It is an ambitious vision.
But during the interview, Mauricio asks a very simple question:
Why not?
They are already taking steps towards what they want to build.
More Than Food
What makes the story of Obleas To Go special is not only the obleas, empanadas or arepas.
Behind the food, there is a family.
There is Colombian culture.
There are long working days, mistakes, risks, difficult decisions and moments of doubt.
But there is also pride, ambition and the satisfaction of seeing customers enjoy something that has been created with care.
At Typical Spanish, these are exactly the stories we want to share.
Independent businesses are not simply products on a shelf or food served across a counter. Behind them are people who have decided to build something of their own and bring a piece of their culture with them.
Mauricio and María started with an idea.
Then came a cart.
Then a shop.
And their story is still being written.
Prepare yourself. Keep going. And why not dream even bigger?