Part&Parcel is an online store that offers a curated selection of organic, sustainable and Aussie made household staples at the best prices – we spoke to Founder Dan about what inspired him and his wife Lia to create Part&Parcel, what they love about our Mylk Bases and their go-to recipe. 

Hi Dan, what inspired you to create Part&Parcel? 

Well-being has always been important in my personal life. When it came to buying nutritious and ethically sourced food for my family, I was amazed at how expensive and confusing this type of shopping could be. I’d go into my local health food store, feel totally overwhelmed, spend $100 and leave with four products.

So, when I was a stay-at-home dad, with my first son, Eli, I found myself driven to make healthy eating more accessible. I didn’t want geography, price, and knowledge to deter people from shopping this way and on my long pram walks, I started to sow the seeds of what is now Part&Parcel. 

Can you tell us more about Part&Parcel? 

Part&Parcel is your local business where you can afford, access, and appreciate the value in choosing quality organic and Australian-made products.

Before any item hits our virtual shelves, we research every ingredient, health-benefit claim and customer review. Not to mention carefully testing the product’s quality for ourselves. When we choose a brand, it isn’t just because they make a wonderful product. They also need to make it wonderfully. Our members can shop comfortably knowing that their products are sustainably made, ethically sourced, and carefully researched and tested. In short, we are an essential base for a wholesome home!

What do you love about Ulu Hye Mylk Bases? 

Firstly, it’s the mylk base concept that we fell in love with. It offers a sustainable style of homemade mylk that is fresh and waste-free. Secondly, there are no exaggerated health claims. Above all else, our members love them. Month-after-month, regardless of season, they’re a solid seller. 

Can you share your favourite Mylk Base recipe with us?

My wife Lia and I are busy parents, so we love some good Overnight Bircher using Ulu Hye’s Nut Mylk Base. It’s a fun dish to involve our kids, Eli and Tai in.

The night before, we chop the fruit and nuts and do all the mixing. We combine oats, dried fruits, a bit of cinnamon then soak them in Ulu Hye Nut Mylk. Then, we add some grated apples into the mix and refrigerate overnight. We serve with a splash of Ulu Hye Nut Mylk and a drizzle of honey. A very simple but delicious breakfast that tastes like a treat. 

Score $15 off your first Part&Parcel order (min. order $99) with the code ‘ULUHYE’ here.

The post Stockist Spotlight: Part&Parcel appeared first on Ulu Hye.

(Image: Co-Founders Vasia and Heidi in 2017 at Ulu Hye’s first office)

Hey Heidi, how does it feel to be in your 5th year of business?

It’s such an awesome feeling, given the challenges of the past few years with the pandemic and the competitiveness of the food and beverage industry in general. We’re proud to still be 100% Aussie owned and operated, stocked in 600+ stores across the country and most importantly, growing – not just our range, but our customers. Plus, we have so many exciting things happening this year, from new flavours to a B Corp certification and plenty more surprises!

What does it mean to be stocked at Woolworths? 

Being stocked in the majors is a dream come true. Being able to help fight this war on waste through major distribution makes our mission even more possible.

Is there anything you wish you knew in your first year of business? 

It’s good to have a timeline but we’ve learnt to be flexible! Things take time, especially when you’re creating a product that doesn’t even exist. From brainstorming the concept to working with food scientists to have a tangible product ready for market, and fine-tuning it, it was quite a lengthy process but obviously all worth it. 

What’s a motivational quote that keeps you inspired? 

A mentor once told me to always bite off more than I could chew and then chew like crazy, which has always inspired me to just ‘go for it’ even though it seems impossible! 

Do you have plans beyond Australia that you could share with us?

We sure do! We’ve got a lot happening behind the scenes with hopes to enter the UK market first and then keep going from there!  

Where do you see Ulu Hye in 10 years?  

My dream is to see our Mylk Bases become a household staple, just like bread and traditional milk. I hope that plant-based food and drinks become mainstream and that our attitudes toward sustainability are more positively ingrained i.e. being a no-brainer and a natural part of everyday living. 

Want more? Read our founder interview with Heidi here and find out what it’s like to start a business with your bestie!

The post Celebrating 5 Years of Ulu Hye 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.

Since launching, they’ve diverted 66,064 single-use plastic bottles of sunscreen from entering landfill and diverted 6606kg of chemical UV blockers from entering our oceans and waterways – inspiring stuff! 

We spoke to Tom about childhood dreams, goals for 2022, his top tips for protecting the planet and more.   

(Pictured: SunButter Co-Founders, Marine Biologist Sacha and Conservation Ecologist Tom)

Hey Tom, what are your goals for yourself and SunButter in 2022?

We’ve just got a couple of new epic staff involved, so hopefully that brings back some more free time for myself and Sacha to do more volunteering for the environment and conservation. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Gosh, so many things. I wanted to play in the NBA or play professional Rugby Union. I guess my earliest childhood dream was to grow up and be a Golden Eagle, a little bit tricky to achieve, but I recently became a Paragliding pilot which is a bit like being an eagle.

We heard you dropped your spot at the London School of Economics to become a dive instructor. Was it a pretty quick decision or one that you had to sit on for a while?

Super quick decision actually. I was scuba diving in NZ on my first gap year, and got a really good life lesson from the local instructor (ex-accountant) who basically said “Someone will pay you to do your hobby” so I went from there.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to turn their passion into a business? 

It’s hard and tough but so worthwhile. Stick with it, don’t be afraid to ask for help – either in wisdom, advice or financial. There’s amazing, often free, resources available on all of that. Make good plans and goals, and work hard to achieve them. Don’t be too scared of failure as long as you learn from it (and try to avoid it).

What does success mean to you? 

Hmm, a tricky one. Probably, if I was successful, I’d be working 3 days a week at SunButter, volunteering in local wildlife and environmental conservation, surfing and flying a lot, and have a heap of time for local adventures with Sacha. No need for a big house, flashy car or a big number in my bank account.

Playlist or podcast, what are you listening to at the moment?

I’m loving Madi Stewart’s shark podcast, fascinating. And of course, I love the Water People podcast and Talks with Trace – all super informative and interesting.

What’s the last book you read and was it any good?

I just finished Braiding Sweetgrass. It is AMAZING, I cannot recommend it highly enough, I loved it! 

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

The gap year advice of “Someone will pay you to do your hobby” and also a quote from the late, great Kobe Bryant, “If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.” I had it as a poster on my childhood bedroom wall and love it.

Can you give us your top tips to protect the planet? 

• Start! Any tiny step you make is a good step in the right direction. 
• Set realistic goals like remembering your drink bottle or Keep Cup. Hitting those goals will inspire you to do more… and more… and save the planet. 
• Do and give whatever you can. We can’t all afford huge amounts of money. But off-setting your car through Greenfleet Australia is relatively cheap, and they have heaps of ‘preset carbon offsets’ for your house, a car, a short flight, an average person for the year etc. Each payday I buy a charity “coffee or lunch” e.g donate $5-$30. It’s a really easy way to give to great causes, and if things are tight, I can skip a fortnight. 
• Secret Santa charity donations. This is something Sacha and I started with our families about 5 years ago, no need to stress about presents. We do a secret Santa and everyone makes a charity donation to a charity either they love or they think the recipient will love.

What’s next for SunButter Skincare? 

Donating more to charity, it’s a big goal of ours. Also, a couple of new and super exciting products plus a giant announcement. We’ve also started offering some epic 3PL for other small eco businesses which is exciting. 

Looking for skincare that protects you and the planet? Head to SunButter Skincare here and stock up! 

The post People We Love: Tom from SunButter appeared first on Ulu Hye.

Hey Heidi! Can you tell us about your professional journey so far? 

Prior to Ulu Hye, I worked in both the sustainability industry, as well as the food and agricultural space. Combined, these roles gave me enough confidence to give Ulu Hye a crack! Running Ulu Hye is hard work but incredibly rewarding. To be honest, it doesn’t even feel like work, which can also be a curse. 

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

I actually wanted to be a makeup artist! I love the creativity behind it even though I don’t wear any. You know I’m going somewhere special when I put mascara on. 

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias. What are two key issues that you’re passionate about when it comes to gender bias in the workplace? 

Ah, where to begin… Definitely the gender pay gap. Women are just as hard-working and more often than not, are juggling the running of a household too. Also, workplace discrimination against mothers – I have seen friends try to return to work after having children, but to their shock, have had their roles made redundant or their role restructured in a way that wasn’t viable for them to return.

We’re curious to know, what’s it really like starting a business with your best friend? 

It’s so good and so hard! Sometimes it’s hard to treat them like a colleague rather than a close friend, especially in times of high stress but there’s nothing better than working alongside your best mate. 

What’s been your proudest moment so far? 

You might be surprised by my answer, but the proudest moment so far would have been when I overheard two women discussing our product. One woman was sharing with her friend how great our Mylk Base was and explaining how to use it. It was very surreal and definitely a pinch-me moment!

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt with Ulu Hye? 

So many! Triple check everything, trust your gut, don’t be too proud and outsource talent to fill in the holes that aren’t your expertise. 

Who’s your biggest inspiration? 

I know it’s cliché but my mum is my biggest inspiration. She was a single mum to three children and we never felt like we went without, be it material possessions, time or holidays. She’s amazing and I hope I can be half the mum she is.

What’s your secret to success? 

There is no secret, you get out what you put in.

Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to start a business?

Just give it a crack! 

We know you’re an avid reader, what’s on your bookshelf at the moment? 

It’s true – I read one book a week! Recents reads are ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens, ‘The Alice Network’ by Kate Quinn and ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely FIne’ by Gail Honeyman.

And we have to ask, what’s your go-to Ulu Hye recipe? 

Easily the salted caramel slice, although I adapted it and made a base using oats and dates instead of nuts.

Okay, final question, where do you see Ulu Hye in 2022 and beyond?

This year we have big plans for Ulu Hye and hope it gains enough momentum to soon enough become a household name and a pantry staple in every kitchen in Australia.

Check out our Mylk Base Range here and help us prevent cartons and containers from entering Aussie landfills today – better for you, better for the planet.

The post #IWD2022 Interview with Co-Founder Heidi appeared first on Ulu Hye.