Hayley Blieden, managing director of The Australian Superfood Co, shares how native ingredients are attracting brands and customers alike. By Doris Prodanovic.
The Australian Superfood Co works with indigenous communities and local growers to source native ingredients to the food and beverage industry, as well as consumers, all year round.
Founder, chief dietitian and managing director Hayley Blieden launched The Australian Superfood Co four years ago at a time, she says, native ingredients weren’t on the map.
“You’d talk to consumers and when you’d ask them what they thought Australian native food was, they’d say Vegemite or lamingtons,” Blieden told Food & Drink Business. “We’re noticing this is slowly changing with native ingredients used on shows like Masterchef, in high-end restaurants and cafes. Bars and spirit makers are also using it as botanicals in their cocktails and drinks.”
The supply chain for native ingredients – such as Kakadu plum, lemon myrtle and wattle seed – is fragmented, says Blieden, with many food and beverage manufacturers often finding it difficult to source the ingredients. This is where The Australian Superfood Co comes in.
