Brisbane food and beverages businesses start Future Food journey

Twenty-six up-and-coming food and beverage businesses have taken the first step to join the likes of Domino’s, Lite n’ Easy and Youfoodz as Brisbane-born household names.

The businesses began Future Food Brisbane programs this week to help them grow from startups to established organisations.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said Future Food Brisbane would help participating businesses to achieve their next step, whether it was to grow locally or reach global markets.

“There is a hunger from Brisbane’s food community to expand their capabilities, capacity and expertise, and Future Food Brisbane is delivering a range of targeted education and industry development advice to help them achieve this,” Cr Quirk said.

“Growing Brisbane’s food and agribusiness industry is a priority of the Brisbane 2022 New World City Action Plan for economic growth, which is why we want to help our local food and beverage businesses to prosper.

“Brisbane has the facilities, infrastructure and networks to support local food and beverage businesses to tap into national and international markets, and hopefully we will see some of these companies go on to become household names.” 

Co-owner of New Farm-based Dello Mano, Deb Peralta, said the family brownie business aimed to be responsive to market trends and drivers, and Future Food Brisbane would help establish Brisbane as a world-class centre for food and innovation. 

“We’re incredibly excited to have the opportunity with this program to develop a clear strategic path to leverage our brand, products and the Brisbane food community to the world through the Future Food Global Readiness Accelerator program,” Ms Peralta said.

“We’ve always had the dream, commitment and energy to pursue our goals and this opportunity is a blessing to benefit from a pool of expert talent that would not otherwise be available to us.”

CEO of Clayfield-based Queen of Pops, Penny Wolff, is excited for the opportunity to further develop her business through the Future Food MktReady Incubator program.

“Over the next five years we are hoping to produce more innovative and intriguing products, and distribute them to a wider customer base, which is why we applied to be a part of the program,” Ms Wolff said. 

“The Brisbane food industry is a unique ecosystem with a wide range of vibrant and motivated food businesses, and by connecting through Future Food Brisbane, we can promote meaningful networking opportunities and collaborate to make a collective impact.” 

Background: 

Developed by the city’s economic development board Brisbane Marketing, the Future Food Brisbane initiative includes the following opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs: 

• Future Food Global Readiness Accelerator: A six-week program run by professional services company KPMG for established businesses with high-growth potential, to support them in accelerating commercial outcomes, including readiness to compete, gain traction and establish a robust and sustainable business model for their chosen global markets.
• Future Food MktReady Incubator: A six-week program run by corporate services company Bentleys designed for businesses with a hunger for new product development and an appetite to grow and scale their business.
• Holy Shiitake Pitch Program: A three-part program for budding entrepreneurs to finesse presentation and pitch skills, to build confidence and clear articulation of a new business production value proposition, powered by SilverChef and Wandering Cooks.
• Industry Readiness development workshops and seminars: A series to build capability and create connections with support from agencies including FIAL and FIAQ, covering important aspects of food and beverage commercialisation readiness, from funding, e-commerce, buyer negotiations, quality assurance and importantly the pathways via Meet the Buyer and Investor opportunities. 

For more on the Future Food Brisbane programs and events, visit futurefoodbrisbane.com.au.