Online gourmet hamper company Cheese Therapy is extending its support for small food businesses with a new ecommerce platform called Artisans Bend.
Cheese Therapy co-founders Sam Penny and Helen Shadforth said more than 70 artisan gourmet food producers, wine makers, coffee growers and other small businesses have asked to come on board.
Artisans Bend is an Etsy style online marketplace allowing consumers to explore and support producers. It will also give artisans the opportunity to share their passion and product stories.
It follows the company’s “overnight success” last year (it began in 2015) when the pair offered a Therapy Box of Australian made cheeses to support producers impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires and COVID-19.
“Cheese Therapy is a family run business, and we know most artisan producers are small mum and dad businesses, so Artisans Bend is a way for us to help mentor them and find a market for their products,” said Penny.
In 2020, Cheese Therapy recorded 2400 per cent growth on the preceding year. The Therapy box saw the company sell two years’ worth of cheese in a month. Its work helped save Milawa Cheese Co from closure and provided a sales channel for 17 Australian cheese makers. Apostle Whey Cheese recorded 52 per cent sales growth last year.
It is partnering with tech company Marketplacer to deliver the platform, which will go live in September.
