Page 11 - Food&Drink August 2022 magazine

RISINGSTAR ✷
“They’ve been with me from the very beginning, they are advocates for the product,” she says.
Earlier this year, Qian won the 2022 Naturally Good Pitch Fest against stiff competition from brands that are already have a market presence.
Her dad, an electrician, was visiting from New Zealand to install equipment in her factory, went along to watch.
“He said, “Oh Sarah, I understand what you’re trying to do now”. I don’t know if this is common for all dads, but for mine, it was such a dad thing for him to say, his ‘now I get it’ moment,” she says.
FUNCTIONING FACILITY
Qian now shares a processing site with a juice manufacturer but says finding suitable food manufacturing facilities in Sydney is difficult.
“Just being able to find something that has high enough ceilings, enough cool rooms, all these things you would never think of. When you’re looking at a home you’re thinking, oh a spa would be nice, but I’m saying, we need a floor drain.
“The process of getting our equipment has also been a hassle. Luckily, the design, manufacturing, engineering company I worked with, that is based overseas, has been incredibly helpful.
“Ideally, you can see and test the machinery before you buy it and have it shipped over. But Covid meant that wasn’t an option. They’ve been super responsive and helpful in trouble shooting things, thank goodness,” she says.
Qian says the logistics of getting the equipment here were also fraught, with fewer ships and “astronomically” expensive transport fees.
Now set up in her own facility, Qian is wearing the many hats a start-up founder does, with ongoing R&D, formalising supplier relationships, and investigating the best packaging for the product and branding.
She is also reckoning with an unexpected hurdle, a shortage of oats. Around 80 per cent of Compassion Creamery’s ingredients come from Australia and oats is one of them. But the popularity of oat milk has caused a shortage.
“The vegan in me is thrilled, but the business owner is crying, “my oats!” she says.
When asked about the brand name, Qian explains it has multiple meanings.
“The compassion in the brand name reflects the vegan principles of compassion for animals and the environment but there’s also an element of self-compassion. When I was working in the corporate world, it felt so foreign to me.
“Starting Compassion Creamery was when I showed myself compassion to do something I loved, rather than compromising myself.
“My ultimate vision is for someone to open the fridge door, see the cream cheese and think to themselves, “You know what? I should just take a breather. Whatever it is that I’m stressing out about, it’s going to be okay”. Like a little tub of remindedness in your fridge.” ✷
“ We use traditional dairy cheesemaking methods and combine it with our innovative oat base which is cultured and fermented... unlike almost all vegan cheeses, it doesn’t contain coconut oils or starches, nuts or soy.”
OPPOSITE: Compassion Creamery was sparked by the rise in popularity of oat milk and Qian’s profound disappointment in existing vegan cheeses.
TOP: After more than 250 iterations founder Sarah Qian has developed the world’s first oat-based crème cheese.
ABOVE: Sarah Qian accepting first place at this year’s Naturally Good Pitch Fest, against stiff competition from brands already in the market.
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www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Drink business | 11