Page 16 - Food&Drink Magazine May 2022

REGION IN FOCUS
Sunny Coast stars
At the fourth annual Meet the Makers event on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 95 food and beverage businesses showcased their products. Kim Berry was there.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
QCamel is the only certified organic camel dairy in the world.
Clinical nutritionists Lynsey and Hayley created C-biogenics to help everyone live their best life.
Brigid Woolnough started her chocolate company Kokopod while on maternity leave.
Glen and Ginger MacPherson bought Vanilla Vine farm on a whim three years ago.
AS food manufacturers, distillers, cheesemakers and more gathered at this year’s Meet the Makers, Sunshine Coast Council councillor Jason O’Pray told the crowd the region’s food and beverage industry was made up of more than 900 businesses and worth $700 million.
“We are officially the craft beer capital of Australia, with 21 craft breweries, and the region is rapidly being recognised as one of the most dynamic locations for new food and agribusiness investment in Australia.
“We are expecting demand to grow significantly from Asian markets with the advent of Free Trade Agreements with Japan, China and Korea,” he said.
Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN) board chair Jacqui Price said FAN is the fastest growing not for profit food and agribusiness cluster in Australia.
While Meet the Makers showcased FAN members, the Turbine Precinct was also a hot topic, with Price saying it will be an epicentre for scaling food and beverage businesses.
“Our goal is ‘Let’s get small business big’. If you can create an environment that provides the infrastructure like waste
streams, warehousing, even base manufacturing, and you share the cost of that, then you have more money to have the competitive edge – so you can invest in your packaging, branding, and distribution,” Price said.
It has been five years
in the making and FAN recently secured a further $33 million for the project.
DYNAMIC BUSINESSES FOCUSED ON INNOVATION QCamel is the only certified organic camel dairy in the world, and the first in Australia to produce premium pasteurised camel milk.
The herd is pasture-fed and raised to the most stringent ethical farming practices. With every camel known by name, the farm produces milk, cheeses, and skincare products.
Glen and Ginger MacPherson bought Vanilla Vine three years ago on an impulse.
While still working fulltime away from the farm, the pair have found time to hand pollinate vanilla flowers to produce exquisite vanilla pods and products.
They also have 12 acres of coffee trees, so stay tuned for
their efforts with the mighty caffeine bean.
C-Biogenics is owned by clinical nutritionists Lynsey Koch and Hayley Robinson. Their knowledge, clinical practice, and personal experience led them to develop Gut Food and Calm Food.
The two nutritional powders serve different functions, with Gut Food providing pre and postbiotic assistance to the gut and microbiome.
Calm Food is an adaptogenic and neurologic whole food to help the body’s resilience and restore a sense of calm. The pair are passionate about helping and educating people about their nutrition.
When Brigid Woolnough was on maternity leave and
her husband away travelling for work, she started experimenting making chocolate. When he returned from a trip and said the house looked more like Willy Wonka’s factory, a decision was made.
The result is Kokopod, Woolnough’s brand of premium handmade chocolates in the most delectable of flavours, including a range more suited to a savoury palate and served as part of a cheese plate. ✷
16 | Food&Drink business | May 2022 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au