Hass Foods | Celebrating Australian Food and Agribusiness Innovations 2021
Cathryn Wood spent years working with Curtin University and the Health Department in WA to improve the nutritional content of food produced in commercial kitchens. A chef by trade, she’s also a mum to two picky eaters and knows first-hand how difficult it can be to ensure everyone gets the recommended five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit each day.
She wanted to develop a product range that could fill the need while standing out in a crowded marketplace and avoiding the issues associated with production and distribution of perishable items — a tall order in the health space.
The first product under the HASS Foods banner is a range of dry mix packet breads that contain four serves of vegetables. Designed to be easy, fun, colourful and nutritious, the mixes represent the entire food rainbow thanks to ingredients including beetroot, capsicum, pumpkin, corn and spinach.
The just-add-water mixes are an ideal way to increase vegetable intake via a fun activity for the whole family.
Future products include a range of cake mixes with fruit, as well rice dishes, flavourings and seasonings.
After successfully applying for the FIAL Black Summer Innovation grant, the HASS team were able to purchase the equipment required to commercialise. Access to webinars and training opportunities helped develop skills and knowledge inhouse to further progress the business.
“What began as a little side project has become a great collaborative effort for us. We worked with family, staff and customers to develop and refine the range, then received support and advice from FIAL, business networks and leaders’ groups that connected us with people and services that have helped advance our project by giving us specific strategic advice. It’s been an exercise in skills development and a great way to build a new business venture,” Cathryn said.