Do ever come across a site or brand and you can feel it? There’s something about it where you feel the soul behind it. That’s how we felt when we were introduced to Rebecca and Damien’s site, Warndu.
Warndu is an online shop and brand aka an Australian Native Foods Revolution. Warndu is all about reconnecting with the native (Australian) foods and contributing to the regeneration of culture, tradition, health and community. As Rebecca and Damien are experts in food and community, they collaborated to create a brand filled with products that are not only helping you to eat good, native foods, but to feel good all the while.
Meet Rebeca Sullivan…
Where are you in the world?
Sitting under a rainbow. Currently Adelaide. Off to Byron Bay next week then Cairns for some Native Foods work then off to London for a month to speak at a food festival and photograph my next four books.
When did your idea for Warndu first come about?
When I came to the sad realisation that I had been in my career promoting local foods for over 8 years and never tried anything truly local (Australian Native Foods).
What impact would you love to make with Warndu?
Reconciliation through food. Thats huge I know but if we can achieve that even on a micro level we will be happy. We want to ensure every Australian has tasted something ‘local’.
How did you go about creating the products?
Trial and error. New flavours meant I had to start with a blank canvas. I read, asked questions of people in the industry, and just tried things until they worked.
Once your products were ready to go and your website live, how did you go about getting the word out?
Word of mouth, social media and tastings where possible is how we have done it to date. But we have a long way to go.
If fear ever shows up in your life or business, how do you move past it?
I am good at letting shit go. Thats probably my biggest strength. I have failed on numerous occasions and rather than let it cripple me, I take it on the chin, learn from it and move on. I teach entrepreneurship at Le Cordon Bleu and its the first thing I tell my students. Fear will stop you from living your dream. You have to learn to let that go straight away.
Because you and Damien collaborated on Warndu, how is it working with someone and would you recommend others to collaborate with another person when getting their ideas off the ground?
More ideas the better I say! Collaboration is what I live by and we all should. We miss opportunities if we aren’t open to it.
What’s on the horizon this year for Warndu?
We are working hard on launching our bone broths (roo, barramundi and native greens) so that you can have them at home, planting our own native mini farm and launching some new products for your pantry!
More about Rebecca
Rebecca Sullivan is a self-taught cook and has worked with some of the world’s best food producers, academics, activists, and chefs. As food curator, activist, food writer, urban farmer and entrepreneur, Rebecca has worked on many a projects any food lover would envy, from launching the Real Food Festival in London to working on Slow Food Nation in San Francisco, farming coffee in Uganda to teaching scientists the art of communications in the Maldives for the United Nations. Rebecca recently completed her Masters in International Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture at the Royal Agricultural College in Gloucestershire, UK during which she focused on food security and a sustainable food future and is now undertaking another Masters in Food History at the University of Adelaide.
