Welcome back to the food mentor podcast I’m David Burns your host and today we are chatting to a delightful couple Cindy and Joe who are based in Sunny Perth, Australia. Cindy and Joe established Seven Oaks Catering 10 years ago and it has now  become one of Australia’s leading corporate catering businesses supply 1000’s of platters a month of delicious fair to Perth’s corporate community.Of course it is now perfect timing to create a retail brand and packaged offer to help fuel the future growth of this fabulous business. Lets chat with Cindy and Joe about their plans to launch their new retail brand and how they plan to diversify into a packaged retail range.Their website here:www.sevenoakscatering.com.auI hope you enjoy this podcast.This episode of the Food Mentor podcast is brought to you by Naturally Good, Australia's leading event for natural & healthy products, connecting brands with retail buyers. Looking for the latest natural products? Then you won't want to miss the Naturally Good expo at the ICC Sydney, 3-4 June. Over the two days, you can explore the most sought-after healthy products, connect with top brands and industry innovators, and gain key insights into the latest consumer trends. Registration is FREE! So grab your ticket now to make sure you don't miss the retail industry's must-attend event: https://naturallygood.com.au/register-2024/    David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

In this crazy food and hospitality industry, (and for any industry for that matter), looking after our mental and physical health is critical. Introducing Parkrun https://www.parkrun.com.au/ The Parkrun story is nothing short of amazing, and in 2024 celebrates its 20 year anniversary. Parkrun for me personally has been a key part of my life for over 10 years now. Parkrun is a free 5km timed event where you can run, walk, volunteer or spectate for free, every Saturday morning. Parkrun Kicked off in 2004 with 13 runners in a park in London and has now blossomed into a movement of 2000 Parkruns in 22 countries with 500 events in Australia each Saturday morning. Meet Joanne Watkins, the event director of Australia’s largest Parkrun event at Albert Park, in Melbourne. https://www.parkrun.com.au/albertmelbourne/ Today Joanne and I chat through the Parkrun story and the many recent broken records including the 1 millionth person to cross the line. This is a fabulous chat incorporating hilarious stories and anecdotes but of most importance the story of kindness and bringing local diverse communities together as one. I really hope you enjoy this podcast.This episode of The Food Mentor Podcast is brought to you by the Naturally Good Trade Show. Australia’s only natural and organic trade show, connecting brands with retail buyers and much more. Get ready! Naturally Good returns to the ICC Sydney on 3rd & 4th June.It’s the ultimate trade show for natural and organic products where you can shine in front of top retail buyers. Don’t miss your moment. All the details are in the link here.https://naturallygood.com.au/get-involved/exhibit/David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

Today I’m chatting with David Freeman, the founder and CEO of H2COCO. David is the pioneer of coconut water here in Australia having launched in 2009 so almost 15 yearsago. This is a great story of how David has not only held onto this market leading position but also how he has cleverly diversified into other beveragesegments. David also chats through the importance of having a sustainabilityfocus as a key part of his brand. I hope you enjoy this podcast.This episode of The Food Mentor Podcast is brought to you by the Naturally Good Trade Show. Australia’s only natural and organic trade show, connecting brands with retail buyers and much more. Get ready! Naturally Good returns to the ICC Sydney on 3rd & 4th June.It’s the ultimate trade show for natural and organic products where you can shine in front of top retail buyers. Don’t miss your moment. All the details are in the link here.https://naturallygood.com.au/get-involved/exhibit/David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

We get asked this question a lot.How long does it take, how much does it cost and what is the best process to develop a new food/ beverage product from scratch? Regardless if you are a budding entrepreneur, a small - medium business or a large multinational organisation- the same detail applies.Zac and I have some fun with this one given we are well qualified to get into the detail of this exciting topic.I hope you enjoy this podcast.This episode of the Food Mentor podcast is brought to you by Naturally Good Australia’s only natural and organic trade show connecting brands with retail buyers. Do you have an innovative product in the natural space? You can now enter the 2024 Naturally Good Awards. Easy entry, lots of brand exposure, and a chance to win a promotional package to the value of $5k, and more! Find out more or enter here >  naturallygood.com.au/whats-on/awards                   David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

In this episode we are delighted to be chatting with Friska Wirya from Fresh by Friska.Friska has a wealth of experience in change management consulting and is a renowned thought leader in this space. She shares with us her key insights surrounding change strategies for organisations and budding entrepreneurs. Technological advancements are providing unique opportunities for businesses to change and adapt, and we chat through these exciting topics plus more! With the new year ramping up, this is the perfect time to consider change to improve our businesses and organisations. I hope you enjoy this podcast.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

Throughout 2023 Zac and I were very grateful to have met and chatted with some fabulous insightful guests.This mash up includes 2022 AFR fastest growing business David Andrew from Naked Life, The founder of Karma Bites Ashwin Ahuja, Tim and Liam from Bae Juice, a personal branding lesson from Tima Elhajj and more recently The Coles grocery GM Leanne White.Zac and I also chat through the rise of NUFFIN dips along with the optimal approach to develop new products and brands to help you win in 2024. Of course we kick off this mash up with our now famous April Fools day prank and the launch of our new airline “Nosh Air” A 30 minute powerhouse episode to inspire you into 2024. Of course,  please also take a listen to any of the 14  full episodes here. I hope you enjoy this mash up style Podcast brought to you by NUFFIN dips.Australia’s 1st delicious dip range in a paper tub with no preservatives.NUFFIN is better for the planet. David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

Nana Kwarteng is a delightful Ghanaian lady who has lived in Melbourne for 20 years.She has always been very passionate about bringing Ghanaian flavours, aromas and culture to Australian shores.The initial range of Nana Africa meat and seafood spice rubs really do look and taste amazing and I’m sure the splash of colour and pazaz  is well needed within the current supermarket spice section. Nana and I talk through the Ghanaian and West African culture and the plan to put this region of the world on the culinary map. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Food Mentor Podcast. This episode of The Food Mentor Podcast is brought to you by the Naturally Good Trade Show.Australia’s only natural and organic trade show, connecting brands with retail buyers and much more. Get ready! Naturally Good returns to the ICC Sydney on 3rd & 4th June.It’s the ultimate trade show for natural and organic products where you can shine in front of top retail buyers. Don’t miss your moment. All the details are in the link here.https://naturallygood.com.au/get-involved/exhibit/David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

I was lucky enough to work with Leanne White at BP Australia between 2006-2009 during a transformational period. We were both with Coles at the same time also.Leanne is very talented and it’s absolutely no surprise she has enjoyed a fabulous career with Coles having looked after 6 different categories prior to being appointed as General Manager Grocery Merchandise almost 4 years ago.In this chat we cover a lot of ground from the  gender equality evolution and women in retail to how Leanne and the team love talking to new suppliers about new products and brands, and much more!I hope you enjoy this podcast.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

This really is a fabulous thought provoking  chat with Tima Elhajj which challenges the norm for entrepreneurs and CEO’s when it comes to their personal brand and purpose. Tima says that when you are clear on these two pieces it is then much easier to create content to stand out, connect and engage with your audience and customers. Amazingly only 1% of LinkedIn users post on linkedin so the % of people posting images and videos of themselves would be microscopic! The irony here is that personal brand, purpose and marketing are the most important elements in our food industry and the least understood and utilised for sure. Of course you still need an amazing product. Amazingly I see very few CEO’s from large organisations, SME founders or any brand owners showing up and being the face of their business and brand! Where are you?Of course fear plays a large part in this reluctance - even I can fully understand this. Take a listen to Tima’s career journey along with her tips, tricks and advice on this topic. Tima herself would be one of the most connected people I have met on LinkedIn and she has created a great life for herself through the utilisation of her personal brand - you can too! I hope you enjoy this podcast David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

In 2023, the clients we work with will have achieved 50mil in retail sales from products and brands we have helped develop in the prior 12-24 months.How?Because we know where to play and then how to pull the pin on the differentiation hand grenade.In a crowded market place, if you don't understand your consumer and aren't different you have no chance.In this podcast we are talking trends, opportunities and gaps for 2024 and beyond.Trend talk in isolation is boring and pointless - in fact some of the biggest opportunities are in product segments and categories that are not new!Your intuition and ability to read between the lines is where you win!Everyone wants to develop that winning product and brand.Understanding food and beverage trends is important but an increasingly small part of the overall jigsaw puzzle.We put our own spin on winning out there when it comes to developing and launching new products and brands in 2024 and beyond and we’re getting pretty good at this.We also cover the “no go zones” to help you avoid wasting time and money.Getting your product and brand to resonate with consumers is the game - everything else is fluff.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

Cubbyhouse Canteen is Australia’s favourite Children's lifestyle brand which since 2010 has promoted kindness, community and connection to young people and their families through the Union Street Park Café in Armadale, a suburb in the SouthEastern Suburbs of Melbourne.Join sisters Narelle and Bec on this exciting next chapter as they launch the Cubbyhouse Canteen retail brand into the marketplace.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

In this episode we chat with Tim and Liam about their 4 year journey from idea to  raising capital and kicking off in the USA. This really is a perfect example of the optimal path to take when it comes to developing, growing and then scaling a new, unique product and brand.I hope you enjoy this episode of The Food Mentor Podcast.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

In David's view, a great product is entry to the start line and a great brand is what will bring success.After listening to this podcast please check out our downloadable "7 secrets to developing a great brand " PDF in our Creme Design link here https://www.cremedesign.com.au/#GuidedownloadbannerCrème Design - Ideas that rise to the top. We are Australia's only dedicated food industry product and brand design agency helping manufacturers and brands to develop stand out, winning concepts to supply into retail.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

In this episode of the Food Mentor Podcast we are chatting with Josh Klein, the founder and managing director of Social Status.Social Status is a Melbourne based social media agency developing fabulous unique content for local and international brands.Josh and I chat through all the detail of what makes a great social media strategy along with how best to get noticed out there in a very crowded market place.Listen in regardless if you are a seasoned social media maniac or a true novice.I hope you enjoy this podcast.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

Today we are chatting with Steve Plarre the CEO and generation number 4 of Fergusson Plarre.A fabulous listen for any cafe, bakery, retail store, food brand or manufacturer! This is great story of rich family heritage dating back to the first bakery in 1901. This chat is a great lesson on how to navigate change through this great companies 120 year history.I hope you enjoy this podcast.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

Today we are talking with David Burns about the fast paced 12 month journey of Australia's first dip range in a paper tub with no preservatives - NUFFIN.Haydn Scott, the founder, worked with David over the last 24 months to develop this great purpose led brand and dip range which launched in March 2022 with Woolworths supermarkets.The last 12 months hasn't been without its challenges, we have all learnt a lot and most importantly we are all still smiling and enjoying the fast and furious ride. I hope you enjoy this chat (with no double dipping) hosted by Zac from DJB Food Group.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

Welcome back to the Food Mentor Podcast.Today I’m chatting with Sinead Kavanagh the product manager for the upcoming Naturally Good show which is happening on 5th and 6th June at the ICC, Darling Harbour in Sydney. The Naturally Good Show is Australia’s sole B2B trade show for the natural, organic and better for you brands. Sinead and I chat through all exciting events happening over the 2 days of the show. It is a busy and exciting schedule with something for everyone. With Sinead and my combined experience we also have some fabulous tips and tricks for exhibitors as well as visitors to make sure everyone generates some great business outcomes from this fabulous show.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

In todays episode we chat with Ashwin Ahuja, the founder of the international snacking brand Karma Bites Popped Lotus Seeds. I stumbled across Karma Bites in October 2019 at the Anuga Trade Show in Cologne, Germany and brought the brand to Australia in September 2020 (right in the middle of Covid).It’s been a roller coaster ride for Ashwin with the brand now trading in 15 countries.Ashwin talks through the history and heritage of lotus seeds, the journey so far along with lessons learnt.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

I was lucky enough to work with David around 2017/18 and this award for David and Naked Life doesn't surprise me in the slightest. In 2022 the Australian Financial Review rated Naked Life as the Fastest Growing Company in Australia.David's vision is to remove as much sugar from everyone's diets as possible, kicking off with all natural sugar free soft drink and then morphing into sugar free ice sticks. David has also enjoyed success with low sugar breakfast cereals and cookies just to name a few of the other segments. The game changer for David though was the creation of world class non alcoholic spritzers and cocktails.David always looks like the iceman and doesn't even flinch even with the enormous workload and growth he has experienced.You must take a listen to this inspirational chat.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com

Everyone loves a laugh when it comes to April fools day and that includes the team at DJB Food Group. In this chat our Food Mentor podcast host David Burns fakes an interview with his sister in law Lana making out she was a journalist from Air News.Nosh Air - the worlds first airline offering world class culinary delights for all passengers including a tapas bar on the top floor of all air buses.David Burns is also the founder of DJB Food Group and Creme design helping manufacturers, brands and entrepreneurs develop innovative new products and brands to supply into retail. Also see davidjburns speaker, because we love talking about this industry. Would you like to be a guest on our show or sponsor an episode to reach your target audience? Connect with us anytime david@djbfoodgroup.com