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THE BEST OF BYRON BAY FROM PAGE 33 Sustainability and quality by the sea Sustainability is a huge part of Byron Bay’s core, which is why the local markets play a significant role in the town’s culture. The Byron Shire Council website reads: “The choices we make about food can have widespread impacts on the health of not only our bodies, but also the ecosystem, the farmers and other workers within the supply chain. This ripple effect means that we can make a positive impact with each purchase.”1 According to Ms McPhee, “sustainability and purity are foundational to the way we choose to go about our craft”. “Each and every blend, including our single-origin teas, are all packaged and sealed on site, ensuring local community support, freshness and purity while also reducing our carbon footprint.” Madura Tea prides itself on following the health trend – what’s considered healthy not only for people, but for the environment as well. “With the Byron region being a hub for numerous forward-thinking sustainable businesses and associations, it’s only natural that we’ll continue to inspire people to make healthy choices – not just for themselves, but also for our environment, while equally continuing to invest in socially responsible and positive practices that support both our environment and community,” Ms McPhee said. This underscores the focus on health that’s evident throughout the Byron area. “There’s a definite trend towards herbal and spiced brews,” Ms McPhee said, “and even more so from 100 per cent Australian owned companies. We’ve always said that tea can nourish both your body and soul. “With this in mind,” she continued, looking ahead, “we’ll see growing demand for ‘pure’ wellbeing teas in 2021 – in particular as trends increase for people wanting non-prescription solutions to help with mental health problems such as stress, depression and anxiety, as well as physical concerns such as weight loss, diabetes and high blood pressure.” This is a trend Mr Brook has also noted, citing Byron as one of the places that kicked it all off in Australia. “Speaking generally, the products coming out of Byron are often really high quality and healthy too,” he said. “I’d think that health and diet trends would generally be taken up earlier by the people in the Byron area. I’d like to think this is because people \\\\\\\[here\\\\\\\] can tend to be more open minded about trying new products or experimenting with a change in lifestyle.” As Mr Brook says, the move towards knowing where food products come from is strong now. He believes sourcing information can be trusted when it comes to Byron Bay products. “Ensuring you’re eating quality wholefoods is something that isn’t a trend, but is so important, especially when those products are Australian made,” he said. A climate like no other Ms McPhee refers to the Byron area as a “fertile oasis”, which seems to be relevant not only in terms of the exquisite environment, but also for the successful start-ups. “We’re lucky enough to work in this incredibly unique environment that simply allows us to just get on with what we do best – produce extraordinary tea for extraordinary people – with an everyday attitude,” she said. Most of the business owners agree that health-based trends will have a strong influence on Byron’s future. Mr Brook notes that due to Byron Bay’s known success, a lot of people use the name to further their own success. “There’s a trend where some businesses may leverage the good name of Byron to sell their product without truly being a part of the community, or without creating a truly great product,” he said It’s clear the companies that launched in Byron have continued with their feet planted firmly on the sandy but fertile ground. The themes of passion, individuality and quality that run through the area are reflected in Byron Bay’s home-grown brands and businesses. The sentiment from Brookfarm’s Mr Brook, but mimicked by all, is: “We’re proud to be Byron locals.” 34 RETAIL WORLD OCT, 2020