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PROCESSOR PROFILE
Martin and Jane Cheney, Australian Harvest Fine Foods.
BIO-GRAPE red wine paste
raises Australia’s organic profile
» A win last year by BIO-GRAPE wine pastes at the world cheese show SHOP was a catalyst to raise
Australian Harvest Fine Foods’ and Australia’s organic profile in offshore markets.
Warren Beaumont reports.
A ustralian Harvest Fine Foods
was founded by Martin Cheney
in March 1993 at which point he
“The irony is that we have to pay a
25% tariff to export to Europe plus freight,
while European products can be sent into
sensitive hypertension. It is one of four
major nutraceuticals found in red grape
seed and skin extract, including resveratrol,
had already gained valuable operational Australia tariff-free – there is no level pterostilbene and saponins.
knowledge of the health foods industry. playing field,” he says. According to Mr Cheney, a health
Prior to this Martin had operated Bio The experience gained in organic advantage of the BIO-GRAPE products
Organics vitamin supplements, sold it, and farming and the vitamins and health food is that they have a high ORAC (Oxygen
went on to manage Natures Way vitamins business helped him to design a range Radical Absorption Capacity), with red
in Melbourne. “I built Bio-Organics up of products, including the popular BIO- grape skins and seed extracts having the
into one of the major vitamin supplements GRAPE range of gourmet pastes and sauces best spectrum of polyphenols in them.
companies before selling it to Nature’s that would be beneficial for good health. ORAC is widely recognised as a method
Own,” Mr Cheney says. Another versatile health product developed of measuring the antioxidant capacities
In a major lifestyle and vocation change is a horseradish vinegar with garlic that is of food. An increased level of high ORAC
Martin later purchased a 50-acre property like a herbal tincture for the treatment of dark colour pigments from red wine grapes
in the Adelaide Hills in Mylor and started hay fever and sinus. consumed on a regular basis is associated
growing organic herbs. At this time Martin “It all comes down to balance - when with a lower risk of heart disease.
began experimenting with value adding of you add herbicides and pesticides, the soil is “I went to a three-day conference on
products using vinegars, herb jellies and not as productive and it interferes with the polyphenols which attracted international
Roma tomatoes in olive oil. soil’s balance - it’s the same with the human experts who presented on the benefits of
Martin took the decision to sell the body,” Martin says. these nutraceuticals,” he says. “Resveratrol
farm and began Australian Harvest Fine The company’s BIO-GRAPE products in red wine grapes is a natural substance
Foods in the Yarra Valley of Victoria. He are made from the residual skin and seeds which works in the skin of the grape to
saw this as an opportunity to replace some removed from red wine after crushing. combat fungus. In organic grape production
of the cheap, imported foods coming into Martin understands the benefits offered grapes have to fight off diseases without
Australia from overseas. by polyphenols, shown to blunt salt- the assistance of synthetic fungicides and
30 AUSTRALIAN Certified Organic MAGAZINE Spring 2009
are found on average to contain higher “The organic movement in the standard could be developed in line with
antioxidant values. United States is phenomenol and we will the USDA organic certification label,” he
“We are trying to educate people but exhibit with Austrade and the Victorian says. “We’re told we live in a global market
the first thing that attracts people to BIO- Government at the NRA show in Chicago and we need to look at getting into line with
GRAPE is the flavour and taste - we receive during May – the major restaurant show. USDA organic and achieve equivalency.
great consumer comments about this. It Bio-Grape should have great potential in “It is very frustrating that we cannot
is important to explain the environmental the US as 71 million Americans have some buy USDA accredited organic sugar in
and health benefits to people, that it’s a type of cardiovascular disease.” Australia and it has to be imported from
byproduct of wine waste and the health Overseas trends impacting on product South America.”
benefits of its antioxidant activity. development and marketing include ‘buy Sales growth was very good last year
“BIO-GRAPE covers organics, health local’, food miles, the benefits of less CO2 after only two years in business with BIO-
and gourmet markets and while people production, and renewable energy. Mr GRAPE, with a pickup in sales leading
may try it primarily as a gourmet food, it is Cheney says when BIO-GRAPE is shipped into Christmas. “We’re getting repeat
recognised for its health benefits and that it’s overseas it needs to be shown that the orders from customers and distributors
certified organic. It sells quite well in the gift product is more sustainable to offset the and attending a lot of trade and consumer
and hamper market at Christmas time.” food miles travelled. shows. It’s very important to show the
The BIO-GRAPE Australian Certified product and get people to taste it and to
Organic product range includes Red Wine explain the benefits,” Mr Cheney says.
Jus, Red Wine Chilli Sauce, Chilli Shiraz While Mr Cheney sees the Australian
Paste, Shiitake Chilli Paste, Cabernet Certified Organic labeling as an advantage in
Pepperberry Paste, Plum & Grape Paste, promoting the product, he is also concerned
Blueberry & Grape Paste, Quince & Pinot with a large amount of non-certified product
Paste, and Fig & Grape Paste, Grape Seed in the market. Looking at the organic market
Crackers, and Red Wine Chocolates. and trends, he believes that organics appeals
to the more educated and AB demographic
Major expansion in export: groups and organic retailers may not always
target these groups correctly.
UK, Europe and Canadian “Organics also needs to be promoted
distribution through the environmental benefits of organic
A major success for BIO-GRAPE was “An advantage of BIO-GRAPE farming. Another issue is that there are great
the ‘Best Overseas Product of the Show’ is that it is organic and climate organic products being made by dedicated
award at the World Cheese Awards held people but not enough effort is going into
in Dublin, Ireland in late 2008. The BIO- friendly and is recycled from marketing - and there’s not enough support
GRAPE range of eight certified Organic from governments,” Mr Cheney says.
red wine grape production,
Fruit Pastes and BIO-GRAPE five Cheese Increased food costs have so far not
Lovers Gift Packs were sampled with a but we also have to show what impacted on Australian Harvest Fine
range of cheeses at the ‘SHOP’ show. Foods as increased volumes have helped
The award lifted BIO-GRAPE’s UK we’re doing in energy use offset price increases. “Prices are affected
profile, and Mr Cheney says he was very and transport use to show it’s by drought or rains and by supply and
excited by the great response to the SHOP demand,” he says.
Award in Dublin and not long after at The environmentally friendly.” Getting more BIO-GRAPE products into
Wine Show in London. “We were featured the retail market in Australia and overseas is a
in the UK Good Cheese magazine with quite “An advantage of BIO-GRAPE is that major aim. While more retailers want organic
a story written on BIO-GRAPE,” he says. it is organic and climate friendly and is products, it is still a challenge to overcome
Exporting is shaping as a growing market recycled from red wine grape production, resistance to placing organics in some non-
for BIO-GRAPE. “We set up BIO-GRAPE but we also have to show what we’re doing organic stores. Mr Cheney says sales in
Foods UK Limited with a UK warehouse in energy use and transport use to show it’s Australia are being made to quite a broad
and have a marketing consultant working environmentally friendly,” he says. market, such as organic stores, some fresh
on our behalf with the UK as a base to Mr Cheney points out that this is quite produce retailers and gourmet delis, and wine
supply Europe,” Mr Cheney says. A major challenging as UK supermarkets such as and cheese stores in wine regions, but not to
distribution agreement is close to being Tesco are now pushing green consumption traditional supermarkets. “Selling products
signed for Europe. and sourcing low carbon products. “UK with red grape polyphenols such as BIO-
BIO-GRAPE has exported to the UK, supermarkets are showing on food labels GRAPE also helps red wine sales,” he says.
Dubai, and Hong Kong, prompted by how much CO2 is being generated by the Setting up Australian Harvest Fine Foods
interest in cheese markets for the BIO- product,” he says. and the BIO-GRAPE range has been worth
GRAPE wine pastes. A USA retail chain Local ingredients are sourced where the hard work, made easier for Martin by
has also shown interest in the products. possible. However, according to Mr having his wife and two eldest sons working
A distribution agreement was signed in Cheney, an issue with Australian organic in the business. “We really appreciate the
May with a Toronto-based distributor for certification rules is that Australian positive emails and feedback received from
Canada with products being launched at All Harvest Fine Foods cannot often access people each day in Australia and the UK,
Things Organic in early October in Toronto. Australian ingredients from small producers; and the positive responses we’re getting from
“We are looking to get Bio-Grape products something he believes could be addressed people after showing the products all around
into Ontario during the peak wine seasons at a government level. the world. Being awarded the SHOP Award
with distribution to be organised into other “The new Standards Australia national in Dublin at the world’s biggest cheese show
Canadian provinces,” Mr Cheney says. standard could address the issues and the was fantastic recognition,” he says.
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Spring 2009 AUSTRALIAN Certified Organic MAGAZINE 31
