Foraging for plums gets awards nod
A Canterbury woman’s business began with a simple question: What’s in our food?
Laura Keogh began paying more attention once one of her children was diagnosed with a developmental disability. She wanted to know if what she fed her children was setting them up for a good day. ‘‘I was horrified that I didn’t really know what was in food,’’ she said.
That was about 2017, not long after the Australian moved to Governor’s Bay, near Lyttelton.
Less than five years later, one of her products won a gold medal at the NZ Food Producers awards, and her company – Black Doris – was a finalist in the 2022 Foodstarter awards, which celebrates innovative food startups. These were achievements Keogh still hadn’t processed.
‘‘I’ve always loved food and making it from scratch,’’ she said.
‘‘I just go along with whatever in life . . . You have a problem, you find a solution. If an opportunity comes your way, you take it.’’
One of those opportunities included noticing a nearby orchard had been abandoned, and plums were going to waste.
‘‘I thought, ‘I’ll put them in a freezer and do something with them later’.’’
She went from making dressings and pestos to fruit leather and spreads. They were given out as gifts, but after much encouragement from friends, she began approaching local cafes to stock her products.
‘‘I thought, ‘why not ask?’’’ Covid-19 had not put a dent in the onewoman operation, either. She said if anything, it gave her time to experiment with more than just plums. Almost all the ingredients in her dessert bars were sourced locally, and what came from overseas was traceable, she said.
Keogh began to specialise in desserts, using her children as inspiration.
Much like her style of parenting, she did not believe people’s diets should be restrictive, certainly not in the name of being healthy. It made desserts an easy target: she could make something more exciting than fruit, but without processed sugar.
‘‘My little slogan is ‘making ethical food mainstream’,’’ she said.
She was frustrated by plant-based products having a boutique feel to them. She hoped to upscale production to reduce costs, and ultimately end up in supermarkets.
But because she wanted to grow her company sustainably, it meant that dream would take time. In the meantime, entering awards gave her networking opportunities.
Black Doris did not win the 2022 Foodstarter competition, but Keogh did meet some helpful people. ‘‘I’m just really proud with what I’ve achieved.’’