THE AUSTRALIAN
The Australian Superfood Co
Formed 2015
Since its launch in 2015, The Australian Superfood Co has become the preferred supplier of native produce to food and beverage manufacturers, cosmetic and nutraceutical manufacturers, high end restaurants, airlines and hotels in Australia and overseas.
By increasing awareness, accessibility and affordability of Australian Superfoods, the business aims to increase their demand and encourage their cultivation. The business also hopes to enhance the respect for Indigenous culture, promote the growth of Indigenous communities and foster the local food movement.
SUPERFOOD CO
Our participation in the SoC Accelerator Program provided us the opportunity to meet experts who we otherwise would never have been able to access, challenged our thinking about what we do, why we do it and how we could do it better. It focused us on the really big issues we needed to deal with and gave us the confidence and support we needed to deal with them. The financial assistance enabled us to fund a number of initiatives we otherwise could not have undertaken. Perhaps most importantly we have the confidence to move forward knowing that our plans have been thoroughly tested and validated and that we have the ability to turn them into a reality!
Hayley Bleiden and Ralph Wollner entered the Seeds of Change Accelerator with a number of goals including increasing supply, doubling sales, entering new markets and channels and develop new applications for Australian natives.
The business had developed multiple SKUs in native fruit powders, native herbs and spices, native fruit and herb extracts, paleo granolas, raw bars and superfood fruits. However, the team identified they needed help to focus on the strategic direction of the business and overcome some of the challenges associated with the industry such as lack of consistent supply and lack of consistency with product. The program gave the team the confidence and necessary capabilities to pursue their b2b channels with a clear focus on being the number one ingredient supplier to high quality Australian native ingredients.
Since leaving the program, The Australian Superfood Co has grown from strength to strength. They have been able to acquire numerous new b2b customers, deploy new marketing activities and also feature on the very popular Masterchef television series.
The business has also developed an important initiative known as The Native Harvest Initiative (NHI) to assist Indigenous communities and local farmers to increase their crops. Working alongside a team of agronomists and propagators, the NHI offers farmers and growers specialty services, such as site and farm assessments, soil analysis, feasibility assessments, and access to cultivars and seedlings. The NHI also provides ongoing advice and support around issues such as cultivation, crop monitoring – including crop nutrition plans, pest infestation and disease management, and pre-harvest inspections – along with harvest and post-harvest handling.