National pesto line began as a home industry to pay for singing lessons

The Pesto Princess, also known as Kathleen Quillinan, started her business in her very small kitchen in Observatory, Cape Town, in 1998.

Music is her first love - and food her passion - and, needing some extra cash for singing lessons, she took to the kitchen and started making pesto and other baked and bottled goodies, which she sold at a local school market. It was her pesto that kept people coming back for more.

Today she has a factory employing 40 people who hand-make pesto and sauces using the same recipes created 19 years ago.

The Pesto Princess range is sold in the refrigerator section of most supermarkets.

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5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PESTO

1) Pesto was first made in Liguria, Italy.

2) A predecessor to pesto, moretum, was eaten by the Romans and was made by crushing garlic, salt, cheese, herbs, olive oil and vinegar together.

3) Despite a long history, pesto only became popular worldwide in the 1980s and 1990s.

4) It can be made from a variety of ingredients, but basil remains the most common herb used.

5) Green pestos are usually made from basil, rocket, spinach, coriander or dill, and red pestos are usually made from red peppers or sundried tomatoes.

• Pesto Princess has just launched a summer recipe book - and it's free! To download the ebook, visit pesto.co.za/summer-ebook