Meet the Maker: Hayley Blieden of The Australian Superfood Co

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only did they include a beautiful two page spread on us in The Wellness Book Victoria, but Smudge Eats has featured our founder and dietitian Hayley Blieden in their monthly Meet the Maker series online.

Meet Hayley Blieden, her passion for nutrition and Australian bush tucker has helped her create The Australian Superfood Co. Her company has brought Indigenous Australian foods to the forefront of our culinary radar, producing highly nutritious and delicious snacks from ingredients found predominantly in the Australian bush. 

Hayley holds a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics and an MBA in Health and Human Services, but said she never wanted to be a traditional dietician. After completing her degree Hayley started researching native Australian ingredients and set out on a journey that took her through Alice Springs, Uluru and remote Aboriginal communities. It was along these journeys that she discovered delicious native ingredients but also alarming health and education issues is some of the Indigenous communities. She wanted to find a way to help but wasn’t sure how.

Back in the cities, nutrition and wellness had started to take hold of the minds the public. Hayley noticed that there was a huge focus on international superfoods but there were no home-grown alternatives on the market. Having been exposed to the nutritional benefits of many of these foods during her travels throughout Australia, Hayley knew that there were equally benefical products growing in our own backyards.

Hayley filled this hole in the market with The Australian Superfood Co. Through a range of unique products including raw bars, superfood powders and dried fruits the company not only promotes healthy eating and nutrition but also showcases the natural abundance of the Australian outback while supporting rural communities.

As one of the few companies with native products, Hayley is keen for her brand to take on a truly Australian identity. The visual identity of the company reflects the vibrancy of colours in the Australian landscape and helps set the company apart from its competitors.

Hayley and her team source most of their ingredients directly from Aboriginal communities – she has a great respect for the way Indigenous Australians have been able to source food from the land in a sustainable way. As people become more interested in native ingredients Hayley hopes that working with these communities can help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty among the poorer rural communities.

The Australian Superfood Co. supports Aboriginal communities that have provided them with both produce and knowledge. They aim to improve education standards for Indigenous children and increase employment opportunities. Hayley believes that we all have the ability in our lives to make a difference, whether that be through friends and families or within our local community.

As a new mum to baby Mila, Hayley is now busier than ever but she is excited to see interest in Indigenous foods rising throughout Australia. As well as building brand awareness for The Australian Superfood Co., Hayley is committed to finding Aboriginal communities around Australia that she can develop mutually beneficial partnerships with.

With so much going on even Hayley isn’t sure what the next few years have in store for her, but we’re sure whatever she does it will be a resounding success.

You can find out more about Hayley and The Australian Superfood Co. in The Wellness Book Victoria, now available to purchase in the bookshop.

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Words by Marnie Bodin. Original article available here on Smudge Eats.

 

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