Find out more about the incredible work CERES Fair Food are doing to inspire and educate others, what they love about our Mylk Bases and their go-to recipe below. Hint: it’s a chickpea sweet treat.

Can you tell us more about CERES and the inspiration behind it?

CERES was established in 1982 and has grown over many decades to include an online grocery, nursery and bookstore, urban farms, ethical wood merchant and education centre.

CERES Fair Food, one of the biggest social enterprises part of the CERES portfolio was founded by GM Chris Ennis 12 years ago. CERES Fair Food delivers organic produce and ethical grocery Monday to Saturday in Melbourne. When you shop with us at CERES Fair Food, 100% of the profits go to CERES Environment Park and the CERES School of Nature and Climate. Since opening, we have contributed over 2 million dollars and taught over 1 million students about how the Earth works and hands-on ways we can take care of it.

We exist because we want to make food fairer and work towards a fairer future. Find out how you can make a difference by simply shopping with us here.

The post Stockist Spotlight: CERES Fair Food appeared first on Ulu Hye.

Hey Ellie, can you tell us about your “aha” moment with Go For Zero?

I grew up in a small family-owned hotel where my parents would do anything to help their customers. To give you an example, they would rent out my room for people who would arrive at night who needed a place to sleep. That was before the days of AirBnB, so I grew up seeing business as very customer focused.

When my daughter reacted so badly to mainstream products, I discovered and researched the harsh ingredients, unethical processes and greenwashing. I genuinely could not understand why our wellbeing wasn’t the core focus for these brands. That lit a fire in my belly to start a company that chooses right over easy, for people and our planet.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who gave it?

Make decisions with your heart and your head – advice shared by my grandma. When I was struggling in a long term relationship funny enough, but it applies so much to business too. If I’d only decided with my heart, I would not have a business. If I’d only decided with my head, I would not have the great relations I cherish so much today. This is always a good reminder for me as a business created from a strong passion.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to kickstart their own business in the sustainability space? 

I would advise them not to forget the ‘head’ part as mentioned above. Don’t forget to test your idea and talk to people about it. Before I launched Go For Zero, I set up a pop up store. Nothing fancy at all, my aim was to listen to customers and ask questions! I wanted to know what questions they had, why they love the products, and even why they don’t love the products. This was a really important step that I continually enforce in my journey. 

What are your top 3 tips for living more sustainably? 

Find your ‘why’: this might sound cliche but ask yourself why you want to make changes. Is it all the climate disasters, the future of your kids, to save money? When you know this, you’ll be more motivated to take steps.

Do a bin audit: Look at your bin and decide what the main waste is, this is even a great starting point to find your ‘why’. You may see a reoccurring wasted item from your own home and set out to look for a solution. 

Progress not perfection: Don’t just toss your products for eco-friendly options. It is not only expensive, and a huge waste, but it’s unrealistic! Rome wasn’t built in a day. So just give it a go and start, no matter how small. Once you start with a swap you will see it’s easier than you think – we like to say progress over Pinterest. 

What inspires you?

Women that kick in doors! I love reading about women who dare to try things, think outside the box, can take a hit, and women keep going to make change – it fuels me! 

What’s one thing you wish people knew about zero waste living?

It saves you so much money. Think about a plastic water bottle for example: if you buy 2 bottles a week for $2.50, you’ll save about $250 a year! I haven’t purchased cling wrap, baking paper, paper towels, plastic water bottles and ziplock bags for years now. All these small changes add up. Not to mention the zero waste cleaning alternatives available, that avoid you even having to go down half the aisles at the supermarket anymore! 

What are your plans for 2022?

Gosh, pick one? I’d say our B-Corp certification. I launched the business on the principles of B-Corp because I knew I wanted to do good, but we grew so fast I never made it a priority. This year it is a huge priority, and we are so close, I can taste it! 

Ready to Go For Zero, get started here.

The post People We Love: Ellie from Go For Zero appeared first on Ulu Hye.

We speak to the team about their inspiration, changing trends and attitudes, the impact of COVID-19 on business, what’s next and much more below!

What inspired you to create Prana Chai and what makes it different? 

Vincent: I wanted to create a great tasting and unique chai that other café owners such as myself could offer their customers. We sampled each batch and tweaked the recipe daily, so we had a consistent product.

Mario: We started making Prana Chai in our café for our customers, and after seeing the benefit it added, and hearing all the positive feedback, we saw how it could be a product that other cafés could benefit from. There are other sticky chais out there, but what sets us apart is our flavour and our commitment to service and professionalism, in order to help our cafés  succeed.

Koray: We’re different because we prioritise high-quality and great service in a fun environment. We enjoy being here and feel like this shows in our day-to-day life with our suppliers, customers and colleagues.

You’ve been in the chai business for over a decade now, what significant changes or trends have you noticed?

Mario: The most significant change is chai becoming the most popular drink in cafes when a customer is looking for an alternative to coffee. Back in the day, in my opinion, this was shared by hot chocolate and a range of teas. Also the café operator is now understanding that it’s not only coffee that deserves that “specialty” approach but all products on their menu. The quality of café offerings has gone up dramatically over time due to the fierce competition found in the hospitality industry, and the end consumer expects that quality regardless of what they are consuming.

Vincent: Chai is very popular now especially sticky chai, which I am proud to say that we created this space. Cafés need to offer great service and products to compete these days, as the standards are very high. 

Koray: The powder and syrup is out of the window for starters. At least if you want to have a good coffee shop that is. Customers want and demand better quality products, a good experience and honesty – Prana Chai provides all of these all at once. 

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who gave it?

Vincent: Never take your eye off the ball and take care of your employees.

Mario: My father. After I traveled the world in my youth for a few years, I came back full of inspiration ready to start my career and shared with him all the business and financial aspirations I was feeling at the time. He told me “That’s great son, but don’t forget what’s really important, look at me, I’m happy in my marriage and I am happy that all my family get along.” At the time I thought he missed the point and it kind of deflated me, I thought he didn’t understand me as a person, but after achieving many of those goals from back then and starting my own family, I realised he was right on point.

Koray: Whatever you do, do it right. I sometimes choose not to do things but if I do it, I try to do it to my best ability – thanks mum.

The pandemic was challenging for many businesses, what was your experience? 

Vincent: Very challenging for us as we supply directly to cafés globally who were hit extremely hard. We focused on our online business to get us through.

Mario: We had many challenges from both ends – our sales were affected because of the issues cafés were having due to restrictions, and logistics became a massive challenge because of rising costs and delays. I think the government supported businesses well and the Jobkeeper program helped us to keep our staff on. We had them working “on” the business rather than “in” the business while it was not as busy as usual, so that we are now beginning to come out the other end in a better position.

Koray: Depressing for starters to see the vibrant hospitality market diminishing to takeaways and all that. I am glad we are at the end of it or at least we see some sort of normalisation.

What’s the biggest learning on your business journey so far? 

Vincent: Still learning everyday, I don’t think you should ever stop learning.

Mario: After 20 years in business I keep learning the same lesson, over and over and over again. It’s easy to get distracted along the way so…

Focus on making the best product possible, constantly trying to improve it, always believing you can improve it and do the same for service to your customers. The best advertising is word of mouth by a long shot. Product and service will bring growth. 

Koray: Invest in people, be resourceful and do your best. I find these to be of a quality that people see and value. It says a lot about any organisation that faces customers and suppliers.

What’s the secret to making the perfect cup of chai? 

Vincent: Using plant-based milks is the best way to make a great cup of chai and also making sure you take care while brewing, you don’t want to overheat your brew otherwise it can become bitter.

Mario: My best tip is to taste the chai periodically as you brew it, use a spoon and sip it every now and then – when it tastes just right, stop brewing, strain and enjoy the perfect chai. Avoid overbrewing the chai which can release too many tannins from the tea, which will overpower those warm, cosy spice flavours. 

Koray: Long, cold brew is my go to. In the fridge with a 1:10 ratio of chai to milk. Overnight. Strain and serve. Can’t beat it. 

What’s next for Prana Chai?  

Vincent: Keep producing chai but also introduce new healthy products.

Mario: Move into our new factory and improve our operations, bit by bit.

Koray: Stay on course with our strategy, and do it over and over again in overseas markets.  

Do you have a favourite Ulu Hye Mylk Base? 

Koray: I liked the original Nut Mylk Base. It was earthy and brought out the lovely notes in Prana Chai.

Get your hands on the limited-edition Prana Chai x Ulu Hye Hot Brew Kit here.

The post People We Love: The Prana Chai Crew appeared first on Ulu Hye.

Back in the day, we thought long-life cartons were a-okay because they were made out of paper, but what we didn’t know about were the extra layers which make them extremely difficult to recycle. What happens when liquid touches paper? Paper goes soggy. And what do companies do to combat this? They line the paper cartons with a layer of plastic and a layer of aluminium to protect the contents from seeping into the paper carton. Most cartons will also have a little plastic lid.

When you throw your long-life carton into your recycling bin, its carbon footprint undergoes a long and arduous journey from your recycling bin to a recycling facility, and unfortunately, the majority do not make it.

There are several different recycling facilities, so once the recycling from your bin is sorted into different categories; plastics are sent to one facility, glass to another, etc. These cartons have to go to a special facility where they are broken down and the layers are separated through a water mulching process. These layers are then sent off to their respective recycling facility – sadly, only a very small percent are actually successfully recycled. The NSW Government has even taken long-life cartons off the recycling list, so these bad boys are going straight to landfill. But it’s not all bad news…

We’ve always believed that small changes can create a big impact, and with your support since 2017, we’ve prevented over 700,000 containers and cartons from entering landfill. When one reusable and recyclable Mylk Base jar can create 10 litres of milk, why would you choose anything else? Make the switch today on Global Recycling Day (March 18) and help us make a positive difference.

The post The Truth About Long-Life Cartons appeared first on Ulu Hye.

CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF YOUR JOURNEY THUS FAR?

BEING A HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL PERSON, YOU HAVE A VOICE THAT IS HEARD. WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WANT PEOPLE TO HEAR?

Your voice matters!

WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND CHANGE; WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS AND WHY?

Being in the present. Starting with what is immediately around you. Ticking off one thing at a time. Trusting the process & divine timing. Having an incredible support network that looks after you (including yourself) so your cup stays full and you don’t burn out. Removing judgement and comparison as much as humanly possible.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

Relax a little. What’s the rush? All will work out in good timing. Fit more time in to be silly.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LIFE LESSON SO FAR?

Becoming a mother, without a doubt. I thought I was ready and for the most part I was.. But every day since falling pregnant and birthing my daughter I have learned SO MUCH about myself and the world that I now feel embarrassingly naive.. I will never look at another mother the same and will be forever in awe.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I’m a massive over thinker by nature. I dream big and am extremely driven. I encourage people to go outside, be slow and do things for joy because that is the reminder I need to get out of my own head & into the present. I often speak not from advice to give to other people, but advice I need myself. I think I’d be a lot more hot headed than many would think haha! But my partner prefers to describe it as wild & passionate

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