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Coastal country living in Northern NSW, Australia
'Walk the talk'
A
couple living on a 113-acre farm outside the town of Bangalow (est. pop. 1500)
in the Northern Rivers of NSW has combined their preference for healthy living
in a rural environment, and their particular business skills, to import a range
of natural vegetarian products.
“We wanted to build up a business we felt good about, while living in a way that suits our philosophy of life", said Christopher Sanderson. Chris, with his partner, Christobel Munson, run Marigold Health Foods Australia, located on a rural intentional community in the idyllic sub-tropics of the Byron Bay hinterland.
Today's
technology allows them to keep the company small and the costs down. For a
start, their access to broadband is via a cooperative community wireless network
which allows the couple to operate their business internationally from their
rural home. Christopher has decades of managerial and technical
skills from his time running international computer companies, while Christobel
is the team's experienced wordsmith - both skill-sets ideal to operate a small
home business.
A healthy product - the basis of a small business
"Since recovering from cancer over 20 years ago", Christopher explains, "I've had to be pretty conscious about the food I eat. So when we came across Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon living overseas in the early 1990s, it really appealed to us - both as a healthy food product, and the foundation for a small, sustainable business."
Approaching
the U.K. manufacturer, they were able
to secure an exclusive distributorship to import the product in Australia and New
Zealand. In the U.K., Marigold products are highly regarded in the health-food
world, and have earned the respect and support of many leading
celebrity chefs. Their first shipment arrived in Australia in April 1995.
“What
we really like about all the Marigold products is that not only are they
healthy, but they actually taste delicious, too," Christobel says.
"They're free of any MSG-type additives, or any artificial anythings. Just
as an example, the bouillon is a welcome alternative to caffeine-based drinks. In fact after acquiring a taste for
Marigold bouillon, Christopher
stopped drinking coffee that he loves - but which can make him feel irritable and
jumpy. Now he starts his day with a mug of Marigold instead.”
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Adds Christopher:
"Early on, we soon discovered that not only did the bouillon make a
instant hot drink, but it was also great to use as a stock base for nourishing soups (just adding vegetables), as well as a flavouring for
'souping-up' salad
dressings, casseroles, savouries, and rice and grain dishes.” |
After some research, the team tied up with Pagle Wholesale Distributors Pty Ltd, a well-respected Sydney wholesale distributor of health food products, who have now been distributing the bouillon to health food shops through chains in each state of Australia for the last 10 years. In 2004, the Marigold Health Products range was introduced to New Zealand.
"We see our role as supporting the companies who distribute Marigold products by helping to communicate to their customers just how good the products are, through this website, for example," Christopher says. "Working closely with the state distributors, and conducting in-store taste-tests, has helped us gain a deeper understanding of the way the health food industry operates, and what people are really looking for in a healthy diet".
Today, the range of vegetarian Marigold Health products that the couple imports has grown way beyond the standard Swiss Vegetable bouillon powder - though that’s still the mainstay of the business. Now, the Bouillon powder also comes in Organic and Low Salt versions, and in cubes as well, and the entire product range includes four different popular organic lines, plus yeast flakes, liquid aminos, braised tofu and a miso bouillon. (See Products)