Gaia Tree launched in May 2018 with its first sale at Bondi Farmers Market in Sydney.
Founder and owner Gayithri Sridhar says the health and nutritional aspects of food have been an interest of hers from a young age, instilled by her grandfather who collected books on all things natural and the healing benefits of foods.
“After school, when I used to visit my grandparents’ home, I’d go through these books and be fascinated by what I was learning … Before this I’d never thought of the beneficial side of the foods that we consume,” she says.
“As a child born in the ’80s you just ate what you were given. Food was seen as simply a basic need, to fill up your stomach so you wouldn’t get into trouble. However, when [I started] to look at the beneficial and functional side of food, I quickly learnt that what you eat has a much wider and complicated relationship in the body than simply filling your stomach.”
Consequently, when she began creating products for Gaia Tree, she ensured they would be in keeping with something her grandfather would be proud of and could enjoy.
“All Gaia Tree products are plant based, gluten free, soy free and refined sugar free,” says Ms Sridhar. “We only use dates, maple syrup or coconut sugar to sweeten our products. We don’t use any preservatives and no numbers or fillers.
“Our products are nutrient dense, but we didn’t want them to feel like a healthy snack. Most of our customers are surprised when we tell them what ingredients go into making our products. We believe in getting the most flavour and nutrition from using simple and clean ingredients with minimal processing.”
Read more from Gaia Tree, including trends, company growth, and what’s next, in the November issue of Convenience World.
