Meet Angus.
We first met Angus at a food expo in 2018 and quickly hit it off because we both shared a passion for locally produced food. We learnt about the rich history in his family-owned business which was formed in the 1950s under the company, The Woods Group. They first started grain production in southern Queensland and have continued to thrive in the agricultural industry with Woods Foods, producing a range of pulses, grains and seeds with chickpeas being one of their signature products. Although we were too small to deal directly with Angus, we knew it was inevitable for a collaboration to occur down the road.
Australian Chickpeas.
We began producing our Mayo, Garlic Aioli and Chipotle Mayo with upcycled aquafaba from local manufacturers. Although this was great at the start, our rapid growth made it challenging to continue down this path from a supply and logistics perspective. After a number of months spent on R&D and several hundred trials, we discovered that ground chickpeas could not only be a functional replacement but also meet our supply needs as we continued to grow.
It was during this time that we discovered that not only was a lot of the chickpeas available were being imported but the quality was inconsistent and mediocre. Call it a coincidence or fate but this is when we met Angus who introduced us to his premium chickpeas.
Sustainability is the word.
Although upcycling aquafaba was a great way to make use of something that is usually thrown away, it required refrigerated transport from multiple locations and chilled storage. The carbon footprint of the cold chain logistics required became a growing concern of ours but since sourcing Angus’ chickpeas, we’ve been able to significantly reduce our carbon footprint by removing the perishable needs.
Woods Foods also implement their own sustainable practices throughout their manufacturing processes and are also a proud supporter of Australia’s ongoing agricultural development, partnering up with the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Functional Grains.
Dibble, today.
Sustainability is indeed an ongoing practice that is far from perfect but each step that we take plays a part. It’s about the actions we take and intentions we implement to reach the bigger goal. That’s why at this stage of our business, it’s such an important milestone to be able to work directly with passionate and genuine suppliers like Angus.
Learn more about Woods Foods here.
