In today’s fast-paced world, so much of our focus is directed towards building new values and celebrating modern customs. Convenience products are all well and good, but often these tend to lack a deep identity, with their appeal needing to spread across a mass market. Fast fashion, fast food, these serve a purpose, but if we don’t stop and savour cultural traditions rooted in our personal histories, we may one day find it hard to remember where we’ve come from.
It’s easy to forget that something as simple as a home-cooked recipe, passed down from parents and grandparents, then shared and enjoyed as a community, has strong connections with building a sense of belonging as well as preserving traditional values. When we cook with ingredients native to our heritage, we are paying homage to the natural world that our direct ancestors used years before us. Traditional flavours and aromas are rooted in our sense of self.
In recent years there has a been a prominent movement towards finding deeper meaning and connection, and this is being reflected in the retail market across the globe. Entrepreneurs are keen to find their sense of authenticity and are using their knowledge and creativity to share these age-old customs with the rest of the world. Read on to discover some of these brands who are exhibiting at Naturally Good 2025.
A Deeper Connection
For many people, native ingredients go further than simply an enjoyment of diverse flavours. Sharon Winsor, founder of Indigiearth, has created her business through a passion for the indigenous ingredients she grew up with. Born in Gunnedah, her family history is rooted within the Ngemba Weilwan Aboriginal Australian Indigenous tribes, native to New South Wales.
With 60,000 years of history and culture coursing through its veins, Sharon’s business encompasses her entire being, from an expression of her spirituality to her love of food, flavour and traditional cuisine. “Indigiearth is more than just business. It’s my healing, my passion and runs deep within my soul.”
Sharon has a background in commercial cookery and, alongside her unique range of culinary and native botanical products, she offers a unique 5-course dining
experience accompanied by performances featuring Aboriginal culture, music, storytelling and food.
In 2013 she became the first Aboriginal recipient of the ‘NSW Business Leader of the Year Award’, as well as receiving several other prestigious accolades over recent years. Having overcome significant challenges, from family traumas to deep personal losses, Sharon, now a mum-of-two, feels she owes her success to her profound connection to the land, culture and community.
Indigiearths’s product ranges include a variety of premium native foods, beverages, cooking ingredients and botanicals. Then company has strong ethics on ethical sourcing and sustainably, using native Australian bush ingredients sourced from Aboriginal communities using traditional land management practices.
Ingredients such as lemon myrtle and finger lime are infused into olive oil and balsamic vinegar, while roasted Wattleseed, Rosella and native peppermint are just some of the flavours bursting through their selection of fine milk and dark chocolates. Indigiearth are more than a business with an interesting brand story, this is a company that lives and breathes the vibrant history it was derived from, becoming a showcase of Australia’s ancient aboriginal culture, flora and fauna.
You can find out more about Indigiearth by visiting their stand at location D50.
The Spice of Life
Every family has their own collection of precious heirlooms. These come in all shapes and sizes, from beloved trinkets and jewels to musical instruments or clothing…even a treasured family recipe, passed down through the generations. Combinations of ingredients are deeply ingrained within a family culture, carrying with them flavours of a particular region, stirring up memories and emotions unique to their personal history.
For Ghana-born Sydneysider, Genevieve Muir, it became her life’s passion to capture the rich flavours rooted within her family history. Her desire to share the culinary pleasures she experienced as a child with the rest of the world led her to create her, now internationally successful, business Coast of Gold.
Genevieve’s award-winning range of ‘Shito’ pepper sauces were created from a combination of traditional African flavours and ingredients that needed to reach the perfect balance before the final recipe could be jarred and sold. This was a challenging task! In search for the most authentic flavours, Genevieve sought input and feedback from family members across the globe. It took multiple attempts before she had the winning formula.
“It took significant time to create the final recipe” reflects Genevieve. “Many of my family members contributed with opinions like ‘Too much ginger!’ or ‘Not enough ginger!’ because although very versatile, Shito is basically part of the deep-rooted culinary heritage of West Africa.”
Ranging from a ‘mild 100 percent plant based’ offering, through to ‘medium’ and ‘hot’ varieties showcasing ‘sweet, smoky and spicy’ flavour notes, all of the sauces are a unique blend of hot peppers, herbs, spices and seafood, slow cooked to just the right consistency. Designed to be versatile, they’re able to be paired with numerous dishes from rice to grilled meats, vegetables as well as a variety of snacks.
“For me, Shito is more than just a sauce; it’s a cultural experience” explains Genevieve. “We’ve crafted this sauce using traditional methods and premium-quality, ethically sourced ingredients to capture the essence of West African cuisine.”
Don’t miss a chance to taste of Coast of Gold’s ‘Shito’ pepper sauce range, you can track them down at location SU5.
Elixir of Wellbeing
Prior to the existence of modern-day medicine, dealing with ailments depended almost entirely on plants containing medicinal properties. Steeping plants in water to infuse their healing components is an age-old practice that’s been developed over thousands of years and still prevalent today.
Soothing chamomile flowers are widely used to treat ailments such as anxiety and insomnia, while ginger and mint are effective in aiding digestive issues. Echinacea has for centuries been used to treat the body’s immune system and arnica is well known for healing bruised skin and sprains. The list is endless, and many people still opt for a natural approach before going down a pharmaceutical path.
Two In a Bush is a brand founded by two close friends with an ambition to combine the amazing health benefits of organic Rooibos with spring water and other natural ingredients, to create a beverage both refreshing, flavourful and best of all, healthy.
Naturally caffeine-free, Rooibos is produced exclusively in South Africa and found in the protected Cape Floral region, one of the world’s great centres of terrestrial biodiversity. Widely considered a superfood, it’s naturally high in minerals and antioxidants, and is popularly enjoyed when steeped in water to make a refreshing tea.
Two in a Bush, inspired by the botanical power of Rooibos, have taken the steeping process a step further by creatively designing a recipe for a range of cordials, infused with ingredients from raspberry and peach to more traditional native flavours such as Marula (a tropical fruit tree native to Africa), and Honeybush.
It’s the combination of a spirited light-heartedness, mixed with the more serious concept of a soft drink with health benefits that gives Two in a Bush such an edge on the beverage market. On one hand, the company is able to market their cordials as a way to aid overall wellbeing. Much research has been conducted into the healing properties of Rooibos, with evidence to show that it can relieve a wide variety of ailments from allergies to sleep disorders, digestive problems and headaches.
Meanwhile, their playful marketing, offering up a menu of inventive cocktail recipes that use the cordials as a flavourful, low-sugar mixer, showcases a vital balance and harmony that comes from seeking pleasure and enjoyment. Sharing a drink with friends, while simultaneously being good to your health, and paying homage to the natural world – this is the foundation that underlies the Two in a Bush narrative.
Share a tipple with Two in a Bush at location F35.
Don’t Miss Out!
Keep an eye out for these inspirational brands and so much more at Naturally Good, taking place 26th-27th May 2025 at ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour. Click here for the full Exhibitor Directory to make the most of your experience across the two-day event.