New From Tropeaka | Australia’s Only Beauty Custard

Tropeaka’s Beauty Custard is your New daily beauty solution made easy and delicious. Combines the world’s best sustainable Marine Collagen, sourced from the crystal clear waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, with a highly nutritious, certified organic pea protein for lean muscle building and supporting healthy weight management. Free from any nasties such as dairy, soy, gluten, casein, whey or artificial ingredients, and made 100% natural for optimal nutrition any time of the day.

Congratulations on the new Tropeaka Beauty Custard range! Can you tell us the biggest motivation behind the new products?

Thanks, we’re super excited about this one! Our motivation came from an interesting place. With an active database in the hundreds of thousands, we have the unique opportunity to cater towards what our passionate customer base wants. Through this insight, we’ve found that our most requested product has been collagen, but with so many collagen options on the market, we didn’t want to create another product that customers can get elsewhere.

Custards have been trending in the health and wellness space for the last 18 months; however, no one had looked towards creating a custard that was focused on beauty, which includes marine collagen. We wanted to create an incredibly delicious, convenient dessert-style custard that anyone could eat at any time of the day for a filling, nutritious and skin-enhancing solution! We’ve done that, it’s the world’s first beauty custard, and we think it’s our best product yet!

What was your product development process like?

As we are using certified organic pea protein as one of the foundational ingredients, we had to ensure that there was no grittiness that came through. My co-founder Blake worked closely with our manufacturing partners to produce a product that is smooth, creamy, delicious and worthy of dessert. This took many trials, taste-testing, and of course, lots of time spent in R&D, but we got there!

We have a reputation for bringing products to market that taste great, and we wanted to make sure that legacy continued. It was a slow process that went on for months, but we found what worked and our two flavours, Smooth & Creamy Banana and Salted Caramel, taste perfect!

What benefits are contained in your sustainably sourced marine collagen peptides?

We’ve used the world’s best marine collagen peptides! They are sustainably sourced from cod skin that would have otherwise been discarded, while also being wild caught in the crystal clear waters of the North Atlantic ocean.

Due to our collagen peptides’ smaller particle size, they are absorbed 1.5x more efficiently than traditional collagen sources from bovine and porcine. Our Beauty Custard contributes to the maintenance of normal skin hydration, elasticity & integrity and supports healthy skin and hair.

What is your favourite way to enjoy Beauty Custard?

What makes this product so good is it’s great just on its own. Mix it with a small amount of cold plant-based milk or cold water, and it’s ready to eat in less than 1 minute. That’s my favourite way; however, some people also like to mix it with milk/water and then heat it to have a hot custard.

At Global By Nature, we distribute 250 brands and over 2,500 health and wellness products to trade. Our knowledgeable team are passionate about connecting you with the best quality health brands that support the growth of your business.

Interview with Richard Turner, Founder & Managing Director of Ombar

A purpose driven brand first established in England now available in Australia. Ombar’s mission from the beginning is to change the way the world sees chocolate. From cheap, sugary junk food to a cacao rich, nutritious super bar. First established in 2007 after discovering that the humble cacao bean is a powerful superfood with an array of health benefits. Dismayed that chocolate had lost its way, Ombar vowed to champion good chocolate and put cacao back on top. From harvesting the cacao pods in Ecuador, right through to the production of Cambridge, the team at Ombar are close to cacao, sparking creativity and passion overall.

1.  Welcome to the GBN Family! We’re very excited to be launching Ombar to the Australian market. Can you tell us a little bit about the Ombar journey?

Yes, we started in 2007 after I came to discover that cacao / cocoa – the key ingredient in all chocolate was a nourishing superfood. After wondering why chocolate was then so unhealthy, I set about making a chocolate bar that delivered cacao’s health benefits as well as being super delicious.

As we had no idea how to make chocolate or run a business (and we didn’t have any money!) it took a while to get things moving, but eventually we moved out of my kitchen and into a proper little chocolate factory. We’ve moved again since then into our awesome current chocolate factory near Cambridge, UK, complete with shiny Swiss chocolate machines!

Ombar has grown considerably over the years and is now sold in numerous independents and a number of larger grocers in the UK. We also export into 15 countries, mostly in Europe, and now in Australia!

2.  Why was the creation of this brand and offering so important to you?

I think I’ve always had an affinity with chocolate, so it had a real impact on me experimenting with the raw material that chocolate is made from. I was fascinated by the effect – body and mind – of consuming raw cacao – it’s a great deal more potent that it gets credit for in regular chocolate. So I had the desire to share this experience in the convenient and indulgent form of a chocolate bar.

3.  How does Ombar differ from other organic chocolate bars on the market?

Most chocolate brands do not make chocolate. It’s nearly all outsourced to a few manufacturers as making chocolate is not easy. In addition to making all our own chocolate from scratch, we go to the additional lengths of sourcing directly from farmer’s coops in Ecuador. Again, this is certainly not the easiest way to source ingredients, but for us it’s essential to be completely authentic and transparent in our approach and this was the only way to achieve it.

4.  What was your product development process like and the creation of your flavour combinations?

We are a very innovative company and love to experiment. Our development process flowed from what we ourselves wanted to see on the market, so it’s been a fairly intuitive process in the past, but it’s led to a number of breakthroughs. For example, we were the first chocolate company in Europe to use coconut sugar in chocolate, and to use creamed coconut as a delicious vegan milk chocolate. More recently, we’ve pioneered a way of using a variety of germinated oats to create an indulgent vegan milk chocolate bar with super low CO2e emissions.

5.  What has been the most challenging aspect of building the Ombar brand?

Being a food manufacturer sourcing ingredients from the other side of the world certainly has brought its fair share of headaches over the years! But ultimately, growing the business is down to having the right team. Without the right people in place, the business could lose a year if we’re not careful, so this has been a big learning. You’ll be pleased to know we currently have an amazing team in place!

6.  The entire range is absolutely delicious, but do you have a favourite SKU?

Sometimes it’s whatever we happen to be making that day as I’m in the fortunate position to be able to sample fresh from the line and am nearly always happy with the result. But I do always find myself going back to Coco 60% which is one of our original flavours. It has the perfect balance of complexity from the cacao and creaminess from the coconut and coco sugar.

7.  Ombar is now a B Certified Corporation. Can you tell us a little bit about this process and why this certification is so important to you?

We quite recently became a B Corp company following around 12 months of work to become certified. B Corp seemed to encapsulate in their standards what we aspire to being as a business and a brand. We do so much to try and have a positive impact and by becoming a B Corp, it’s given our aspirations structure and a road map to keep building on for the future. It also provides a recognisable mark for consumers to see which businesses are genuinely about more than profit.

8.  We’re really excited to be launching Ombar to the Australian market!

Us too! It’s something we’ve eyed as a brilliant opportunity for a number of years so to see it finally happen has got us very excited. Let’s do this!

At Global By Nature, we distribute 250 brands and over 2,500 health and wellness products to trade. Our knowledgeable team are passionate about connecting you with the best quality health brands that support the growth of your business.

Interview with Planut Goods, Plant Milks & Nut Butters Made Better for You & for the Planet

Finely milled nuts to create a super smooth paste that you simply add water to then blend for fresh plant milk in seconds. Products are made from 100% whole nuts for complete nutrition of a whole food. Store bough plant milk include unnecessary ingredients such as gums, fillers and emulsifiers. Planut pouches contain up to four litres of plant-based milk that is free from GMO ingredients and gluten, and is vegan and paleo friendly. Plant milks can be blended into your desired creaminess and is shelf stable for optimal use.

1. Welcome to the GBN family Planut Goods! Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

Thank you for welcoming us to the GBN family. At Planut Goods we make delicious plant-based products using as few ingredients as possible. From Plant Milk Concentrates, that you add to water and blend fresh, to better-for-you-Nut Butters.

 2. Can you take us through this new range and the catalyst behind your innovation?

Our Milk Bases and Nut Butters utilise a proprietary milling process to achieve an extra smooth and creamy mouth feel. Our new range of Planut Milk Bases come in Almond, Oat and our Barista blend of Almonds, Cashews and Hazelnuts. We created Planut Milk Bases because most ready to drink cartons of Plant Milk contain gums, emulsifiers and fillers, in place of nuts and plants. We wanted to empower people to create fresh plant milk from pure ingredients. Our Milk Bases are shelf stable and only require refrigeration after the fresh milk has been made. This allows people to keep a range of Milk Bases in the pantry and blend fresh as much or as little plant milk as they’d like per use. We also give people the flexibility to dial up and down the creaminess, by adjusting how much Base they add.

Our range of Nut butters includes Chocolate Peanut Butter, Crunchy Peanut Butter, Smooth Peanut Butter, and Roasted Almond Butter. We have developed our range using the highest quality ingredients and sweetened them with whole dates instead of refined sugars.

3. How does Planut Milk and Peanut Butter differ to others on the market?

For starters, Planut Milk Bases allow people to make fresh and pure plant milk in seconds, from the comfort of their home kitchen. The flexible squeeze pouch of both our Milk Bases and Nut Butters, also provides people with the added freedom of taking their favourite products with them on the go.

4. Do you have a favourite in the range?

That’s like asking a parent to pick a favourite child. That’s tough to do. We love all our products because they’re deliciously unique. However, we must say we love our Barista Base for its hazelnut notes that compliment a coffee perfectly.

5. What has been the biggest challenge in creating this brand?

We spent a lot of time experimenting with different ingredients and formulations to create products that are both delicious and healthy. Using only whole nuts and pure plants in our Planut Milk Bases demanded we use the freshest ingredients, milled precisely to our desired consistency. It took 2 years to develop but we nailed it.

6. What does ‘wellness’ mean to you and how do you adopt it in your everyday routine?

To us, wellness is both being healthy and having fun. We believe you can have both and our products are a testament to great taste and health. It’s a balance in life. Here at Planut Goods we practise daily wellness by always adopting a positive mindset, nourishing our bodies with nutritious foods… and sipping on our morning Planut latte.

7. What has your experience with GBN been like?

Our experience with GBN has been fantastic! The team at GBN have been supportive and helpful every step of the way. We are excited to be part of the GBN family and look forward to a long and successful partnership.

At Global By Nature, we distribute 250 brands and over 2,500 health and wellness products to trade. Our knowledgeable team are passionate about connecting you with the best quality health brands that support the growth of your business.

Interview with Kate Johansson, CEO & Founder of KOJA

KOJA was founded by Melbourne’s own Kate Johansson, who believes life is simply more enjoyable with delicious, better-for-you snacks. She founded KOJA on the principle that real, unprocessed, and plant-based foods are best. KOJA’s range of products are the highest nutritional value and are proud to be free from preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and stabilisers. They are an ideal grab-and-go snack and are the perfect addition to a healthy balanced diet.

1. Welcome to the GBN Family! Can you tell us a little bit about how KOJA got started?

I have always had an interest in natural, holistic health and eating wholefoods plays a very large role in these areas. When walking down the aisles of supermarkets I found that most health bars on the market were packed with preservatives, additives and processed ingredients and even the ones that did contain less synthetic ingredients were unfortunately packed with high amounts of sugar.

I wanted to create a product that not only contained 100% real and natural ingredients but also tasted amazing and anyone could enjoy. I tested and created many different recipes in my kitchen until I came up with products that I believed customers would actually love and would make eating whole foods enjoyable.

2. How do KOJA bars differ from other bars on the market?

There are many reasons why KOJA stands out from other brands on the market. We prioritise our customers’ health and make sure that everyone has a bar that they can enjoy. We appeal towards consumers with dietary requirements such as coeliac, gluten free, dairy free, fodmap, fructose free, soy free, vegan, vegetarian and plant based as well as consumers with sensitive stomachs as we contain no sugar alcohols and no dates.

KOJA bars also contain 75% less sugar than the average natural snack, we tested over 20 natural snacks and the average sugar content per bar was 16g, not KOJA! We keep our sugar contents low as we contain only natural sugars and do not load our bars up with dates like many other natural bars which not only causes a high sugar content, they can also cause digestive issues.

 3. What has been your biggest motivation behind the brand?

I believe that health and taste should go hand in hand, there is no point creating a bar that is healthy but tastes like cardboard. It is rare that you can say a bar that is indulgent and satisfies you is good for you too. That’s why this is such a priority for me at KOJA.

4. What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge with KOJA was getting new customers to taste the bars for the first time. Once customers have tried our bars, we have a very high repeat purchase rate and our customers are very loyal to our brand. Unfortunately this industry has been filled with so many terrible tasting products for many years, so a lot of our ideal customers had given up on snack bars and on the category as a whole. No one believed that a health bar could taste amazing and satisfy their snacking needs, getting rid of this stigma is definitely my most difficult challenge.

5. Obviously all Koja bars in the range are delicious but do you have a favourite flavour?

After creating and crafting all the KOJA recipes in my kitchen until I was 100% happy with them it is very hard to pick my favourite, but I would say it would have to be the Dark Choc Chip Oat Bar as not only does it taste indulgent but I know I am eating a satiating snack that will fuel me for hours.

 6. What does ‘wellness’ mean to you and how do you adopt it in your everyday routine?

Wellness to me is taking care of yourself both mentally and physically. It is something that I believe should be incorporated into your everyday life. I do this by prioritising eating wholefoods, moving my body in ways that I enjoy, listening to podcasts, and spending time with my friends and family. Most of all I try not to rush through days. However, wellness is personal and whatever makes you feel your best is always the best option for you.

7. What has your experience with GBN been like?

GBN has been amazing to work with so far. Their whole team is so clearly passionate about what they do and it’s great to work with likeminded people. We’ve met with some of the GBN reps at our warehouse and invited them to taste our full range. We’ve also spent plenty of time introducing our range to all the reps, supporting with training, presentations, and special offers wherever we can. We know that the health food industry in Australia is a very tight knit community, so we look forward to working with many suppliers, retailers, distributors etc that we already know and I’m very excited to see where our relationship goes.

At Global By Nature, we distribute 250 brands and over 2,500 health and wellness products to trade. Our knowledgeable team are passionate about connecting you with the best quality health brands that support the growth of your business.