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2023 was a watershed year for us, but we are only in this position because of our customers and supporters who have help us achieve what we did last year. We are also grateful for the support of our families, without whom none of this is possible. While we understand there are still things we need to work on, we’d like to reflect on some of the wins during the calendar year.
An allergic consumer’s food choice will be heavily influenced by the perception of safety they garner from confidence in food labels. This can lead to an allergic consumer being very loyal to a given brand.
Stewart Eddie from ASKAFOODTECH was awarded the Sole Trader of the Year Award at this year’s Focus HR Business Excellence Awards proudly presented by the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce.
In 1959 the iconic Weis Mango Bar was born. In true understated fashion, 2019 slipped by marking the 60th anniversary of this fantastic product without much fanfare. It prompted me to contemplate, if we launched the same product today would the expectations of success be the same or different? Very few businesses can predict exactly how a new product launch will go in a climate of intense competition. That being said, I thought I’d share with you my views as to why I think the Mango Bar has been so successful for so long. Taste Is key for a food product. No matter how many 'bells and whistles' the packaging may have, if it doesn’t taste great, the consumer will not buy the product again. This is particularly important to note if you play in the 'better 4 you' space. Novel I wasn’t around when the Mango Bar was developed. The product was said to be pioneering in the ice cream industry for introducing an ice cream style product with lots of real mango puree. It resonated with consumers, growing from strength to strength over the years to being the much loved classic it is today. However, being first to market however doesn’t guarantee long term success. Authenticity Growing up in southern Queensland, it was a special treat to be allowed to tuck into a fresh mango. The nature of the growing season meant this experience was short lived. With the launch of the Mango bar; Weis managed to freeze that moment in time, and bring it to you all year round in a convenient portion. Magic! Teamwork No Magic involved. New products simply cannot reach the market without great teamwork. From the grower picking the fruit, to the operator packing the bars on the line everything needs to work like clockwork to make it happen. Quality A new product, innovative or otherwise, can ‘hit the shelf running’. However, sales can stall if the quality is inconsistent or doesn’t match the “promise” of the packaging. Consumers will gravitate towards a product that they can trust will taste the same, time after time. Consistency There are many challenges facing brand owners today. Rising costs of inputs, droughts, perhaps increased competition to name a few. As brand owners, one must choose a path. Having clear product values help establish the ground rules for the space your product plays in. This doesn’t mean you are locked in. Product values can be adapted to respond to changing consumer needs. However, staying true to your product values, in the face of obstacles helps maintain quality and helps to deliver the consistency that consumers are looking for. Product development is a challenging endeavour. However with good strategy and great execution a business can certainly increase the chances of achieving a successful launch for the long term, in a highly competitive landscape.
Latest news
Foodies! We have a treat for you this May!
Just in time for Queensland Small Business Month we are bringing a workshop series to Toowoomba dedicated to helping food producers grow and manage risk.
Attendees who are just starting out will get great value. Those who’ve been in the game might learn something new too.
Look out for more details as we release them, but here's a sneak peak of our program:
The start of February is always an exciting time for our business.
We are always truly grateful for our customers, suppliers, and supporters who have helped us grow so that we can in turn help more of you grow.
Established in 2021, we have been providing food producers with specialist advice in new product development, food safety and quality coaching, and food labelling.
Here’s to many more years of helping food businesses grow and manage risk.
Our blogs
2023 was a watershed year for us, but we are only in this position because of our customers and supporters who have help us achieve what we did last year. We are also grateful for the support of our families, without whom none of this is possible. While we understand there are still things we need to work on, we’d like to reflect on some of the wins during the calendar year.
An allergic consumer’s food choice will be heavily influenced by the perception of safety they garner from confidence in food labels. This can lead to an allergic consumer being very loyal to a given brand.
Stewart Eddie from ASKAFOODTECH was awarded the Sole Trader of the Year Award at this year’s Focus HR Business Excellence Awards proudly presented by the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce.
In 1959 the iconic Weis Mango Bar was born. In true understated fashion, 2019 slipped by marking the 60th anniversary of this fantastic product without much fanfare. It prompted me to contemplate, if we launched the same product today would the expectations of success be the same or different? Very few businesses can predict exactly how a new product launch will go in a climate of intense competition. That being said, I thought I’d share with you my views as to why I think the Mango Bar has been so successful for so long. Taste Is key for a food product. No matter how many 'bells and whistles' the packaging may have, if it doesn’t taste great, the consumer will not buy the product again. This is particularly important to note if you play in the 'better 4 you' space. Novel I wasn’t around when the Mango Bar was developed. The product was said to be pioneering in the ice cream industry for introducing an ice cream style product with lots of real mango puree. It resonated with consumers, growing from strength to strength over the years to being the much loved classic it is today. However, being first to market however doesn’t guarantee long term success. Authenticity Growing up in southern Queensland, it was a special treat to be allowed to tuck into a fresh mango. The nature of the growing season meant this experience was short lived. With the launch of the Mango bar; Weis managed to freeze that moment in time, and bring it to you all year round in a convenient portion. Magic! Teamwork No Magic involved. New products simply cannot reach the market without great teamwork. From the grower picking the fruit, to the operator packing the bars on the line everything needs to work like clockwork to make it happen. Quality A new product, innovative or otherwise, can ‘hit the shelf running’. However, sales can stall if the quality is inconsistent or doesn’t match the “promise” of the packaging. Consumers will gravitate towards a product that they can trust will taste the same, time after time. Consistency There are many challenges facing brand owners today. Rising costs of inputs, droughts, perhaps increased competition to name a few. As brand owners, one must choose a path. Having clear product values help establish the ground rules for the space your product plays in. This doesn’t mean you are locked in. Product values can be adapted to respond to changing consumer needs. However, staying true to your product values, in the face of obstacles helps maintain quality and helps to deliver the consistency that consumers are looking for. Product development is a challenging endeavour. However with good strategy and great execution a business can certainly increase the chances of achieving a successful launch for the long term, in a highly competitive landscape.
In 2020 I passed a milestone at Weis that coincides with the turn of the decade. So, I thought I’d share with you my 10 favourite products my team have helped to launch over the past 10 years. 10. Sneaking onto the list - the reduced sugar yoghurt range... taking sugar out of ice cream presents a significant challenge to flavour and texture. 9. Passionfruit and Orange Sorbet... Everyone remembers their first product at a new company, right? This was a throwback to my childhood when I’d quench my thirst on a hot summers’ day with a local juice of this combo. 8. Cafe Latte Bar... Coffee ice cream combined with vanilla bean ice cream; how can you go wrong? This was launched in the Weis for Dessert mini range from a proven recipe developed some years earlier. 7. Dairy Free Raspberry and Coconut Bar... Featuring Australian raspberries and dairy free coconut portion this was our first dairy free offer for our Airline clients.
We are all coming to grips with the new normal of social distancing, working from home and generally being very restricted in what we can do. Not being able to duck out to your favourite waterhole for a Friday bevie, or breakfast is frustrating some and has destroyed the livelihood of others. The old saying goes “necessity is the mother of invention”. Inspired by a social media post from local law firm Kennedy Spanner advertising Australia’s first drive-through lawyer service; it got me thinking about what other services could we do with right now, adapted for drivethru? There are your regular suspects such as the QSR fraternity that are well placed to benefit. Interestingly though, in my opinion, there are still opportunities in this space. Take the world of take away pizza. Fifteen or more years ago I could order and pick-up pizza without getting out of my car in the northern Victorian town of Echuca. While that franchise chain is no longer in business (sadly – the eagle edge meat lovers was a favourite) I can’t believe that this service didn’t become mainstream. Now’s your chance “Mr box with the dots”. Originating on the Gold Coast, coffee franchise Zarraffa’s was a business quick to jump on this concept. What better way to provide everyone’s need for an early morning quality cup of coffee in a time poor lifestyle by popularizing the drive thru coffee. A master stroke if I do say so myself, and many good businesses have followed suit, including a local Toowoomba business, Pump Café. One notable omission from the QSR field is the Aussie favourite - fish n chips. In my limited research on the topic, I wasn;'t able to find any current examples but surely an opportunity waiting to jump out of the basket. As I started to upack the topic further; my mind ran wild with ideas beyond the obvious choice of food businesses. I thought surely these are some of the hottest prospect out there and no one’s ever thought of them before. However, a quick fact check revealed that across the world and even Australia some of these concepts have been long thought of.
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A purpose driven leader who has accumulated extensive hands-on experience in all aspects of developing and industrialising new products.