The Smoked Egg Company developed a world-first, ‘chilled smoke technology’ and have been surprising and delighting willing taste-testers with their unique, new product. The Geelong based company invented a process and designed equipment for a chilled process temperature to smoke the eggs, utilising a process with a much lower heat point than any other smoked goods. The product is one of 50 carefully selected innovations featured in FIAL’s 2019 Celebrating Australian Food & Agribusiness Innovations Book.
FIAL recently caught up with The Smoked Egg Company to learn how their business is growing, understand how FIAL helped their growth and find out what advice they have for those starting out in the food industry.
Julie Kos, Director at The Smoked Egg Company, shared that she wasn’t sure that they had anything special until a chance meeting with Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL). The company are now selling the eggs through distributors across Australia and have licensed the IP for the smoking equipment and process to two businesses globally, allowing for growth across Europe and the United States.
How has FIAL helped grow your business?
I connected with FIAL a few years ago, which led to me being invited to joined a trip to an export conference in Milan. In Europe, I met with connections to help grow the business, including a company that eventually went on to licence our process and equipment IP and is now distributing the product across Europe. As well as business connections, I gained a lot of personal growth and confidence on the trip in Europe.
FIAL made me aware this business wasn’t just in my mind. That this was a great idea and they helped me realise the potential value around the world. They organised tests that were incredibly difficult to find and could provide a new selling-point to our product. Their support has been instrumental.
Congratulations on being featured in the latest FIAL book!
We had the book on display during tastings at Fine Foods where we were awarded the Fine Foods medal. The FIAL Celebrating Australian Food and Agribusiness Innovations book award has benefits that have been that a game-changer and especially a massive confidence boost! First, I realised how sellable the product was - it is really a world-class product, not just from Geelong. Anyone in the food industry will look to see what we’re doing in the right hands. It’s not a golden bullet, we still need to work really hard, but it opens doors and it’s definitely an icebreaker. It’s given us exposure and promotes the food industry.
What’s your advice for someone starting out in the food industry?
Get the right people on your side. That’s what we did with FIAL – they were instrumental and have changed our business world. Don’t be too scared and think you’re such a small player that FIAL wouldn’t be interested.
Keep an eye out for The Smoked Egg Company, they have grand plans.
FIAL works with Australia’s food and agribusiness sector to build capability and grow the share of Australian food in the global marketplace. FIAL provides important support to the sector by helping businesses research, develop and commercialise new innovations, find new markets, compete and grow, just like they did with Julie and her business.
Want to hear more about The Smoked Egg Company and other great Australian food and Agribusiness Innovations?