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ORGANIC ORGANIC FERMENTED FOODS IN DEMAND Through independent supermarkets around Australia, fermented food company Gaga’s sells an organic range including Power Kraut (sauerkraut), Power Beets (cultured sliced beetroot), Coconut Mylk Kefir, Apple Cider Vinegar and five Fermented Veg variants (Ginger Beets, Sauerkraut, Dill Pickle, Vegan Kimchi and Turmeric Carrots). Gaga’s founder and Director Blaise Bourke tells Retail World independent retailers have long recognised that stocking and promoting organic products helps them differentiate themselves from the major chains. “There’s plenty of evidence that supports the health and environmental benefits of organic products, so purchasing organic is great for both these reasons,” he said. “Just as importantly though, when you purchase organic, you’re usually supporting a small Australian business and Australian organic farmers.” With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he says, the brand’s fermented foods attracted a spike in demand attributed to growing awareness of the health benefits and immune boosting properties of fermented foods. “It’s still early days though, and given lockdowns are likely to continue for many months, it’s difficult to say how our business will be affected in the medium term,” Mr Bourke said. “We’re hopeful that consumers will keep embracing healthy options and that the initial trend we’re seeing will continue.” Mr Bourke says the brand has been juggling many different roles over the past few months and only just beginning to focus on online visibility as a small business. “We know how critical it is to ensure people out there find us, so this will be a big priority for us over the next couple of months,” he said. New organic sliced beetroot on offer Gaga’s latest offering, the organic cultured sliced beetroot product Power Beets, is described as “raw living ferment unlike any other sliced beetroot you’ve ever tasted” and “loaded with bioavailable nutrients”. Mr Bourke says the beets are thinly sliced, so each jar can be expected to go further than the average tin of beetroot. He adds that the beets aren’t cooked, so the beet slices don’t break apart when mixed through salads or placed on burgers, and they’re allergy free, with known allergens not stocked in the brand’s kitchen. Mr Bourke points out that instead of treating aesthetics and labelling requirements as competing objectives, it’s possible to combine these to emphasise the low allergen profile in a visually appealing way. “We’ve just finalised new branding that seeks to meet both objectives,” he said. Australia’s organic market, Mr Bourke says, has become “an interesting place” after attracting an influx of small producers, such as Gaga’s, over the past few years, offering consumers a broad variety of organic products from which to choose. “While smaller businesses may suffer as a result of coronavirus, there’s every reason to expect that the organic market will emerge from this crisis in a position of strength and that the trend towards unique, healthy food products will continue,” he said. “We’re continuing to grow year on year, which is encouraging and suggests the market is continuing to grow.” He points to great international demand for Australian products, particularly in China and South-East Asia. “Over the long term, we expect to see greater international interest in other Australian organic food products,” Mr Bourke said. “We already export some of our sauerkrauts to Singapore, which is evidence of this. “Focusing on the Australian market, I expect that the organic market will continue to attract small businesses interested in experimenting and developing new products. This will continue to be the lifeblood of the industry going forward and will enable the organic market to take on a bigger share of the overall food market in Australia.” 32 RETAIL WORLD JUN, 2020