Over the years we've had many producers of meals cross our kitchen threshold, but not many have stood the test of time and found a market that is sustainable over a period of more than 4 years. This case study is a common story and a conglomeration of several businesses.

Mums, Chefs, IT professionals, marketing gurus, corporate escapees - these are just some of the people building their business and achieving their dreams in a kitchen incubator. Here are some of their stories:

Arepaland was born as an idea from a group of Venezuelan friends living in Australia for more than 20 years.

Since I was at University, I dreamed of developing a unique product and having my own food company one day.  After working in the Food Industry for more than 15 years, it strengthened the passion that I have of mixing ingredients and coming up with something unique and delicious. It was time to start my own food business. 

A few years ago as a snack-o-holic, I was feeling underwhelmed by the selection of savoury snacks in the market, which were either plain and uninspiring, or full of commercial additives masquerading as ingredients. Having trained and worked as a pastry cook, I thought that I could do better, and sought out to do just that. A few months later The Wondersnack Co. was born.

I migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka when I was 20, for my social work studies. I’m a huge fan of exotic food and beverages and sharing my experiences with others.  I got excited when I found an exotic fruit called wood apple which mainly grows in South East Asia – then I discovered the health benefits of the wood apple fruit and its unique flavour.

In my private practice as a dietician I saw a high prevalence of clients with thyroid problems, mild iodine deficiency and a lack of knowledge about seaweed and its applications.

I wanted to improve my health and also my family’s health. So I began researching food’s link to gut health and inflammation and started fermenting in my home kitchen.

I became a vegetarian as a teenager and became fascinated with health and nutrition and how food affects our bodies. I found myself malnourished, but seeking a diet that aligned with my environmental values, yet still gave me the healthy essential nutrients I needed. Then I had the LEAP Epiphany.

On a trip to America, our friend Carl introduced us to one of his favourite BBQ sauces. Blown away by its complexity and depth of flavour, we set out to make our own. After many nights, batches, beers and BBQs testing our creations, we knew we had something special when our friends kept on saying  "Damn, that’s good."