Belinda Tuki

After being fleeced by her first manufacturer, the Honest Food Company’s boss says her organic products will always be handmade

AUCKLAND MUM AND wellness warrior Belinda Tuki has a growing number of fans raving about her handmade, organic, paleo products. And not only in New Zealand – she’s just had the magic handshake from Australia too, with distribution into major health stores lined up for late July.

Idealog last spoke with Tuki back in 2014, when she’d just finished crowd-funding $37,000. She says that money was put to very good use.

“Having that cash was amazing. It allowed me to grow the company, and hire staff. It also got me into my own kitchen – which we’ve already outgrown, and we’re in the process of getting set-up in a new place right now.”

It all sounds pretty busy for a single mother. Would she recommend the life of an entrepreneur to other mums? “Yes – but I think you have to have an overinflated sense of self (in the best possible sense) to try. You’ve got to be a little bit crazy and naive, otherwise you’d never even get started. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”

The Honest Food Company online store brings in a lot of business, but comes with its own challenges.

“Don’t even get me started on shipping! Things going missing, customers ringing up and saying ‘Where is my order?’ Honestly if someone wanted to set up a new, reliable shipping company for small businesses I reckon there would be plenty of people keen to call them. I think shipping in New Zealand is a bit of a nightmare.”

Queensland distribution is ready to roll from July, and Tuki says she plans to do a lot with Aussie in the years ahead. But The Honest Food Company won’t become a big machineoperated factory, she says.

“The products will stay handmade. I’m determined about that. Handmade means more jobs for single mums like me.”

Mindfulness and exercise keeps her sane, and her top tip for stressed out business owners in the early stages is: Ask for help.

“Women tend to do everything for others but not enough for themselves and often don’t want to ‘bother people’ by asking for support. Don’t be scared to ask for help, I’ve had to ask for plenty!”

Biggest stuff-up: My first business venture was an egg white protein product. The company I had contracted the manufacturing to ended up ripping off my idea and pushing their own product into all the same stores – I was absolutely gutted! That’s a big reason why now I do everything by hand, myself. No way I’m contracting out production again after that.

Motivated by: My daughter. I want her to know this business is her legacy; I’m building it for her.

HEALTHY, ORGANIC FOOD ON THE RISE

Worldwide sales of additive-free foods surged 11.5% in 2013, to $35.1 billion, the sector’s strongest sales in five years, according to the Organic Trade Association. The OTA was predicting 12% growth in 2014.

Australia’s organic sales are increasing at an average of over 15% each year, according to the 2014 Australian Organic Market Report. This values the country’s organic market at an estimated $A1.72 billion.

Local certified organic sales have also risen substantially – an Organics Aotearoa NZ report estimates the market at $126m-$133m a year. In 2012 supermarket sales of non-fresh organic products increased 26.8% over 2009 figures, with a 7.5% increase from 2011, while organic sales in specialty retail shops were worth $25.5m – almost twice as much as three years before.

Honestly, if someone wanted to set up a new, reliable shipping company for small businesses I reckon there would be plenty of people keen to call them. Shipping in New Zealand

nightmare.” is a bit of a nightmare.