Keen Wah | Celebrating Australian Food and Agribusiness Innovations 2021
From humble beginnings at Bondi food markets, Jess and Jono have built Impulse Trading into a market-leading importer of bulk food products, supporting many of Australia’s major food brands. Successful business growth relies on a refined supply chain and development of solid relationships with many global growers, an approach applied by the couple that has seen Impulse Trading now dominate quinoa supply to Australia.
Quinoa feeds into Jess and Jono’s passion for nutritious, plant-based food that is responsibly sourced and sustainably produced. A growing number of Australian consumers share these values, pushing demand higher and driving increased investment into innovative ways to meet that demand.
Jess and Jono decided to develop value-added products using the naturally gluten-free seed under their Keen Wah brand, exploiting quinoa’s dense nutritional benefits and sustainable attributes. Early in this part of the journey, they began discussions with FIAL to learn how it could assist with development and funding of the consumer strategy.
Impulse Trading successfully applied for grant funding from FIAL, which has enabled accelerated development of new quinoa-based products due to launch in 2021. This follows the successful launch of Keen Wah Fig & Maple Quinoa Granola during the challenging conditions imposed by the pandemic last year. The team facilitated a rapid shift to an online sales and home delivery model that allowed Jess and Jono to quickly capture market feedback and ascertain test market appeal. As a result, the Keen Wah Fig & Maple Quinoa Granola will be distributed via cafes and restaurants later this year. A range of new quinoa-based products will also be distributed into FMCG retailers nationally.
“This has been an extremely supportive process and one which has provided access to product development, technical expertise and testing. We feel we have a true partner in our ongoing quest to bring this incredible seed to life in exciting and delicious food products for the whole family to enjoy,” Jess said.
