🇦🇺 Why do we buy from Australian suppliers?
Whenever we can, we like buying from Australian businesses. There are practical reasons for that — supporting Australian businesses, dealing with suppliers in our own time zone, having clearer communication and documentation, lower freight costs and knowing who we're buying from.
But there's another reason: We want to know where our ingredients and materials are coming from. Buying from a supplier we can actually contact and establish a relationship with makes that much easier.
🌏 But here's the thing...Not everything we use is made in Australia, and we're not going to pretend it is. Some raw materials just aren't produced here in bulk quantities, or aren't manufactured here at all. That's the reality of making products in Australia in a global supply chain - an Australian business can supply an ingredient that was originally produced somewhere else.
Australian supplier ≠ automatically Australian ingredient.
So what do we actually mean when we say “Australian”?
We source ingredients and materials from Australian suppliers wherever practical.
The ACCC specifically notes that businesses need to consider the origin of individual ingredients/components and where manufacturing or processing occurs when making origin claims. (ACCC)
And sometimes the boring paperwork matters!
When we're choosing ingredients, we're not just looking at: “Ooh, that's pretty.”
We're also interested in things like:
- Who supplied it?
- Where was it manufactured?
- What exactly is it?
- Do we have the relevant documentation?
- Can we trace the batch?
- Is there safety/use information available?
- Is the supplier transparent about its source?
That's the un-glamorous side of handmade…..But it's important!
We're not going to pretend we're 100% Australian.
We love being an Australian small business, and wherever practical we choose Australian suppliers. But we also believe in being honest about the fact that we operate in a global supply chain. Some ingredients and materials simply aren't made here, and we'd rather tell you that than dress everything up in green and gold and leave you to assume.
Australian business. Handmade in Ballarat. Thoughtfully sourced. Honest about what we know.
That's the GOOD KIND way
