Ana Nishnianidze, Australian trade and investment commissioner to the UK and Ireland, shares the exciting new natural products that will soon be available to the UK market.
With its rich biodiversity and renowned wellness culture, Australia is a hot bed for incredible natural superfoods which contribute to a healthy diet and bring numerous benefits. When the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement enters into force on 31 May, UK retailers will be able to access Australia’s unique tastes and flavours more easily with most tariffs removed on trade.
From raw bioactive Jarrah Honey – Manuka’s healing honey sibling – to the nutritious sea botanicals of Australian seaweed and algae, Britons can look forward to some unexpected and exciting new natural products. Check out some of nutritious Aussie products coming soon from Down Under:
PhycoHealth
Australian seaweed is nutritional dynamite, offering a new source of protein with a complete amino acid profile, B12 and bioavailable iron. PhycoHealth is Australia’s first food grade seaweed farm and food and wellness company, whose seaweed-based products make it easy for health-conscious consumers to get their daily seaweed nutrition.
PhycoHealth’s wide range includes skincare, supplements and innovative food products like PhycoMuesli, Durum semolina pastas and snacks such as PhycoBites, PhycoDamia’s and Sea C’s.
“Australian seaweed helps people fill dietary gaps that cause health challenges such as inflammation and poor gut health – it’s packed full of ingredients many Westerners are deficient in,” says Dr Pia Winberg, CEO and founder of PhycoHealth. “PhycoHealth Seaweed contains proteins and peptides, B12, omega-3, antioxidants, micro nutrients like iron, vitamins, fibre and more.”
Seadrift Distillery
Seadrift Distillery is Australia’s first dedicated non-alcoholic distillery, producing premium quality non-alcoholic spirits which have won seven international spirit awards and are inspired by coastal style gins. Seadrift spirits capture the natural sweetness of freshly torn basil leaves, combined with the citric zing of lemongrass, and evolve into the peppery complexity of juniper.
Seadrift’s spirits are distilled from fresh botanicals such as juniper, sea kelp and hibiscus flowers in traditional copper pots, creating beautifully intense flavours that reflect the abundance of natural produce in Australia. Their spirits have no artificial colours or flavours, no added sugars, and are vegan and kosher approved.
“Australia is one of the few places in the world that is able to create spirits using the fresh botanicals available locally because of Australia’s rich biodiversity,” shares Carolyn Whiteley, co-founder of Seadrift Distillery.
Earth Bound
Young and vibrant Australian health food company Earth Bound is on a mission to get more UK consumers trying raw food with its tasty range of plant-based, pre-mixed meals.
UK consumers can look forward to a taste of vegan scrambled egg mix, meatballs mix, bolognaise mix, san choy bao mix and more.
Earth Bound’s products are nutrient-rich, crafted from the finest ingredients sourced ethically, and aim to help consumers detox and cleanse their body so they can feel and perform better.
Forest Fresh Jarrah Honey
Jarrah Honey is manuka’s ‘healing honey’ sibling and is now available to the UK market with Forest Fresh. Forest Fresh specializes in the supply of raw bioactive honeys sourced from the pristine native forests and rangelands of southwestern Australia. With strong scientific expertise, its selection is calculated using a formula that assesses the strength of Jarrah honey properties across low GI, prebiotic strength, resistance to crystallization and more.
“The floral diversity of the remote Western Australian forests helps create this uniquely Australian honey variety – the ‘healing honey’ Jarrah which has a smooth, caramel-like flavour and is packed with beneficial properties,” says Katie Fewster, marketing manager at family-run Forest Fresh Australia. “It can relieve sore throats, may be useful in healing wounds, is low GI (therefore diabetic-friendly), is considered a good prebiotic and has more antioxidants compared to other honey varieties.”
Capilano Honey
Hive + Wellness Australia’s Capilano Honey is one of the largest global suppliers of pure honey and the largest honey supply network in the Southern Hemisphere. All Capilano-sourced honey is naturally dried by the bees and ripened in the hives. Once ready, the honey is collected by hand, carefully extracted from the frames, and sent to Hive + Wellness where it is quality tested.
“Britons love honey and in fact import 90% of its honey from elsewhere in the world,” says Joel Carlyon, general manager for Hive + Wellness Australia. “Authentic Australian manuka honey is one of nature’s sweetest superfoods and is produced by bees that have foraged on the flowers of Leptospermum trees, native to Australia and New Zealand. Aussie manuka typically has a sweeter, smooth flavour.”
Saltbush Kitchen
Australia has some unique indigenous flavours from the bush to the rainforests. Saltbush Kitchen is harnessing these special native ingredients with its premium range of Australian Salts and BBQ Rubs, designed for easy use at home or as the perfect Australian gift for every cook’s kitchen – the rookie, the seasoned cook and even the show-off chef.
The home of Saltbush Kitchen is in the state of Victoria, on Wadawurrung Country, unfolding in the epic landscapes of Australia to a soundtrack of magpies and galahs, surrounded by a feast of flavours from the bush. Saltbush Kitchen’s products don’t include additives, fillers or preservatives and are produced in small batches to ensure freshness, quality and maximum flavour.
“Bushfoods such as lemon myrtle, strawberry gum and wattleseeds are delicious native ingredients that provide a real taste of Australia that can be incorporated into interesting spice rubs,” comments Brigid Corcoran, founder of Saltbush Kitchen.
Pimp My Salad
Based in Australia’s iconic wellness destination, Byron Bay, health food company Extraordinary Foods produces a range of vegan, gluten-free healthy salad toppers including Coconut Bacon, which is scooping awards across the world.
Inspired by the natural food scene, founders Olga and Alex created Pimp My Salad when experimenting with quick, fun ways to keep their own healthy cooking exciting, dreaming up new ways to boost the nutrition and deliciousness of their salads, soups and snacks. Their range of salad toppers make healthy eating effortless and fun.
JIVA
Made in Sydney in small batches, wellness company JIVA Products produces kombucha and health tonics which are packed full of goodness and contain little sugar, naturally derived from real, locally sourced ingredients.
JIVA first began producing its famous kombucha in 2015 – a vibrant refreshing, organic and vegan-friendly health drink. In 2020, it released its range of tonics, which are daily concentrated wellbeing shots with carefully selected natural ingredients, approved by nutritionists.
Interested in stocking unique Australian natural products? At the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) we connect the UK’s retail sector to premium Australian suppliers. Contact us at [email protected].
