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Why We Started Alowishus – The 2nd Instalment

23/01/2019/1 Comment/in Alowishus Blog, Uncategorized /by Alowishus Delicious

I had so many people ask for the next instalment of my ‘Why We Started Alowishus‘ blog post. To be very honest, I didn’t think too many people would be interested in reading something I’d blogged. I have never been more wrong in my life (except for when I thought we’d be quiet in that first week of opening).

The first time the original blog post went out on social media, we had a record number of hits on our website.

More recently, we posted the story again and I have since received many requests to continue telling the story of how we got started and also where the name ‘Alowishus’ came from.

I’ve been asked to speak on many occasions to fellow business owners, peers and students on various topics. It doesn’t matter what I’ve been called to speak about, in the Q&A sessions at the end, I’m always asked without exception, “How did you come up with the name, Alowishus Delicious?”.

So, where did the name come from?

I really truly wish I had an amazing story to tell you about discovering the name. And I really truly wish I could tell you it was my idea…

However, it wasn’t.

My strengths don’t come in the form of amazing ideas or creativity. My strengths come in my ability to push through, work hard, compartmentalise my life and systemise the back-end of things.

Sometime in early June 2011, Mike came home from work and told me he had a name for the sandwich bar (that’s what we used to call it before we opened).

He explained a few points to me:

It had to be a better name than McPhee’s Cafe
It needed to start with the letter A, so it came at the top in directories and lists of similar businesses
He wanted something that was quirky and catchy
Something that said it was a café or food business without using the words coffee or café
No coffee bean puns or play on words involving tea or coffee were allowed either

“Ok, so what is it”, I asked?

“ALOWISHUS DELICIOUS” (we didn’t have the spelling at that stage).

I immediately loved it!

I said to Mike, “We rarely agree on things, so why don’t we we just run with it?”

So, for the next several days we mucked around with the spelling. ‘ALOWISHIOUS’ was on the cards, but then we settled on ‘ALOWISHUS DELICIOUS’ and on the 23^rd June 2011, I officially registered the business name. This was six long months before we even opened our doors.

Next, we needed a logo. I suggested green, with red as the secondary colour, along with a leafy flourish and the two words, one on top of the other. I shared my idea with Mike and he said that was basically what he had in mind. (Possibly, he was just trying to bolster my confidence to come up with good ideas.)

BUT again we agreed and we just ran with it.

We then enlisted the help of a good friend, Roxanne, who now runs her own graphic design company – 44 Creative. We explained our concept and she got to work and came up with a few designs. We liked them, but they didn’t immediately grab us.

We had actually already decided on the one we would go with, when Rox said she just wanted to make a couple more little changes.

You even helped us choose, when we asked for your opinion on Facebook in September 2011. Here’s the original post.

What she sent through is still in use today and WE LOVE IT! We’ve ditched the red and changed the green a little. And these days the Alowishus ‘A’ (as it is now known) has become widely recognised in Bundy and Maryborough. In more recent branding & marketing activities, we have simplified it even further and been using black and white versions of our logos.

Alowishus JOCO Cups to help reduce waste.

The Alowishus ‘A’ is also featured on our reusable coffee cups which we recently introduced to help reduce waste. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our footprint and do everything we can to contribute to a cleaner environment. You can read more about it in our post about War On Waste – 10 Things Alowishus Delicious Is Doing For The Environment.

We opened with a team of five, plus Mike’s brother, who helped us set up the coffee machine and was baristaring for us in the very first week. Two of those team members are still with us seven years on. Another one has gone on to open his own café in Bargara (many of you will know Matt from The Journey) and the fourth completed her uni degree a couple of years ago and became a school teacher (she’s currently expecting her first bub).

So much has happened over the years and our team has grown from 5 to over 60 (including our Maryborough Store and Bert’s, our most recent venture). It’s mind blowing in so many ways. I really wish I had kept a diary of all the amazing ‘God’ moments that have happened throughout the Alowishus journey, as there have really been so so many.

Mike cutting a door between the two shops.
Our baristas hard at work.

Writing this post, I’ve been going through old photos of our progress, and of our team members past and present. It’s been a fun afternoon reminiscing. Stay tuned for the next instalment (but don’t hold your breath, it could take me another year to write it).

Thank you so much for your support and for being a part of our success.

Blessings,

Tracey

Watch What The Alowishus Team Prepared For Tracey On Her Birthday!

Enjoy Fairtrade & Organic Tea at Alowishus Delicious

03/06/2017/0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog, Fairtrade & Organic /by Alowishus Delicious

At Alowishus, we love to keep things local where we can. And if we can’t get a quality local product, like our organic tea, we want to ensure that our products are ethically sourced and support the local community where they are grown and produced.

Our premium quality organic tea is not only Fairtrade, but organically grown as well. This ensures that the people who work so hard to create this great product and the environment in which it is grown are well looked after.

Organic Tea – Difference you can taste

Most tea leaves go unwashed when they are harvested, dried and processed, and contain chemical residue and pesticides used on the plants. With an organic tea process, it is grown free of chemicals, antibiotics, synthetic hormones or genetic modifications. It is minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation in order to maintain the integrity of the food, preserve ecological harmony and promote biodiversity. Hence, it is health for you as well as for the environment.

Why Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is an organised social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries and promote sustainability. Our organic tea producer’s workforce is given statutory benefits such as free housing, rationed food, medical services and maternity benefits. In addition the tea gardens have schools for workers’ children and places of worship for various religious communities. By giving many families the security of a regular income, our organic tea producers have helped raise the socio-economic standards of the local population.

Our organic tea is sourced from producers that adhere to an organic method of cultivation that is certified by the IMO Institute for Marketecology. This IMO certification has approval in over 90 countries, including European, American and Japanese standards.

Visit your nearest Alowishus Delicious to enjoy our delicious teas in-store!

Our organic tea is available in the following flavours:

Organic English Breakfast Tea
Organic Earl Grey Tea
Organic Peppermint Tea
Organic Jasmine Green Tea
Organic Spice Chai Tea
Organic Lemongrass & Ginger Tea

You can read more about our organic teas here.

Paying it Forward in Bundaberg

24/12/2016/0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Region /by Alowishus Delicious

Bundaberg people truly have put their money where their mouth is with their support behind a local Pay It Forward initiative. More than 530 sandwich vouchers have been purchased and handed out to people who are homeless or struggling between pay cheques each week.

In November 2015 Alowishus Delicious and IMPACT’s Street Outreach Service teamed up to help those in need. Owners of Alowishus, Tracey and Michael McPhee, promote a strong ethos of community support and so the Pay It Forward voucher ingenuity was inevitable.

“At Alowishus, we believe if we want to see change, we have to be that change. That’s why giving back is a big part of what we do, and helping on a local level means we get to witness that change,” said Tracey. “For the support we put forward though, it is our customers who are the ones that make it happen, we just put it out there. I love that Alowishus is a vehicle that enables the entire community to give back. Mostly, people want to help, but they’re unsure how to do it, I think we’ve made it easy and affordable for people to contribute.”

Alowishus suggest just a $4 donation, which equates to one sandwich or toastie voucher, they subsidise the remaining cost of any sandwich. The vouchers are then handed out to people that the Street Outreach volunteers meet. From the 539 vouchers already paid forward, 388 have been bought in store, 27 have been purchased online, 84 came via donations from Moncrieff Entertainment Centre’s fundraising efforts and Alowishus have put forward a further 40 after the national CafeSmart event in August.

IMPACT Street Outreach coordinator Cristel Simmonds says it is so much more than just a sandwich to the people who receive them. “Yes, it is a meal, often the only one for some people, but it means a lot more to them than just food in the long run. They have a chance to connect and feel part of their community, they get to attend a popular café, they get to communicate with staff where they are not judged, where they are accepted.

Pay it Forward

Many people who use these vouchers are lonely and socially isolated, they benefit greatly from that basic interaction. Something as simple as a sandwich can mean so much more to people who have less than most.” Recipients of the vouchers can order straight off the menu and are welcome to dine in or take away, which ever they are most comfortable with.

The Outreach Van is a vital community service that offers people a safe and trusted contact and gateway to other services and advocacy advice. Volunteers help deliver the service twice a week in Bundaberg with the aim of connection, conversation, and compassion. The van carries Street Swags, blankets, warm drinks, vouchers and essential items such as toiletries and sanitary items that can all make someone more comfortable, especially if they’re sleeping rough.

This article was originally published on the IMPACT Community Services Website on 16 Sep 2016: https://www.impact.org.au/paying-it-forward

Bundaberg: Visit the heart of Australia’s fresh food

11/10/2016/0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Region /by Alana Lowes

Farmers, strawberries and rum, the perfect combination for a gourmet food tour in Bundaberg and Alana Lowes, The Flying Foodie, went to the heart of Australia’s fresh food to sample the best on offer

Culinary tourism is at the heart of Bundaberg and Alana Lowes, The Flying Foodie, ate and drank her way around the region, meeting food producers, restaurateurs and discovered Bundaberg is the heart of Australia’s fresh produce.

It might well have been the cane sugar farming which placed Bundaberg on the food map, but these days, the fertile soil, abundance of sunshine and innovative farmers means Bundaberg is now known for being at the heart of fresh fruit and vegetables in Australia. I was lucky enough to get up close and personal out on the farms and in the café’s to taste, chat and laugh with the best of Bundaberg’s food personalities.

One of the newest food experiences to bloom in Bundaberg is the Bundy Cooks Tours. More than just a food tour, owner, Suzie Clarke, has created a true farm gate to plate exploration. The tour provides a view into the daily life of a producer and an insight into the history of farming families in the region.

Anthony Rehbein, 4^th generation farmer on the Hummock in Bundaberg, grows some of the country’s best ginger at Bundaginga Farm.

“Perfect growing conditions and processing within hours after being handpicked in the key to the freshest flavour,” boasts Anthony.

Acknowledging diversification is the key in farming, Anthony has introduced a variety of ginger products.

“Our pickled ginger is made in February when we pick the new season ginger,” Anthony explains.

“This ginger is a milder flavour and is perfect for pickling.”

The pickled ginger is available to purchase along with their ground and sweet ginger bites. I suggest packing an extra suitcase to take home your Bundy delights, I did!

From ginger to sweet potato, the Bundy Cooks Tour continues. The next time you purchase a sweet potato it has most likely come from Bundaberg where 80% of Australia’s sweet potatoes are grown.

Linda and Darren Zucker are also 4^th generation farmers in Bundaberg with their families being some of the original settlers in the region. The rich red volcanic soil makes it ideal for growing sweet potatoes, some of the biggest I have ever seen. Our tour takes us through the washing and packing shed, a vibrant and energetic place, just one part of the food chain in order to get fresh produce to market. I love to see Linda’s hands and jeans are stained with the colour of the land, reminding us we are standing on top of soil growing some of the country’s best tasting produce.

Tinaberries is our final stop on our Bundy Cooks Tour. Producer of delicious, rich, ripe strawberries and passionfruit, Tina McPherson, is everything you dream a strawberry farmer is. Warm, bubbly with a splash of strawberry pink lipstick, Tina is passionate about supplying locals with the very best strawberries in Australia.

“Large supermarkets require strawberries to be picked partly white which means they won’t ever get any sweeter, we pick fully ripe red,” she explains.

“They are perfectly sweet, ripe and juicy,” beams Tina.

Tina is absolutely correct, my first bite into the crimson red flesh results in juicy dribbles down the chin. The best strawberry I have ever tasted.

Bundaberg has embraced its farming history and premium produce with many of the café’s and food spots around town providing a real paddock to plate experience.

Standing behind the motto, “we know where it came from and how it was made”, Amanda Hinds, co-owner and head chef of Indulge Café, happily obsessively sources and cooks with the best of the in-season local ingredients. Spoilt for choice, Amanda’s menu lists items such as “Eden Farms raspberry and coconut bread with Brucie’s passionfruit curd” or “crisp Hummock Farms potato cake topped with Simpson Farms Avocado or my breakfast of “Burnett Heads spanner crab, scallops and Tu’s tiger prawn omlette with local XO sauce, lemon and miso butter sauce and Bundaginger pickled baby ginger.

“Our menu is literally farmers on a plate,” she explains,

“We keep foods simple, but with an edge, giving the food a home.”

Speaking of avocados, they will soon be out of season up in Bundaberg and Amanda will for the first time be removing them from the menu the moment she can’t source any local avocados.

“We serve everything in season, as soon as it isn’t available, we take it off the menu,” Amanda claims.

“We have just dropped off the broccoli dish and soon it will be the avocados.”

Trust is the key ingredient explains Amanda, her customers trust her to chop and change her menu with the season and with the produce literally dropped at her back door.

“Farmers are knocking on the back door of the kitchen all the time with boxes of fresh produce straight from the land”, beams Amanda.

“We also make all our own pickles and preserves from local produce,” she says as she places two jars in my lap, preserved tropical peaches and preserved blueberries. Looks like I’m taking a little piece of Bundy back home with me to enjoy!

At the quiet end of town, Bundy Pies and Patisserie has had a recent makeover and is bringing traditional French sweets to the country. Newest Bundaberg resident, Adrien Marcinowski, is a French pastry chef creating delicate desserts such as strawberry frasier cake, eclairs and almond croissants.

Alowishus Delicious delivers superb Italian style gelato to the main street of Bundaberg. Libby, one of the Gelaticians (yes there is such a thing!) passionately explains to us she has been testing new flavours using local fruits. She recently acquired a large box of passionfruits and exciting reveals the passionfruit gelato which is creamy, lightly sweetened and tangy, bursting with passionfruit flavour. Alowishus blends Tinaberries strawberries to a pink hued ice-cream and the salted caramel Bundaberg Rum gelato is an absolute standout.

Speaking of Rum, the iconic Bundaberg Rum Distillery has opened their new visitors centre. Housed in the recently decommissioned Bonds sheds, the historic buildings tell the tale of a city known for it rum distillery. Rumbling cane sugar trains, move slowly along the edge of the property and strong scents of molasses make you feel like you are part of the daily production of the golden liquor.

For the ultimate Bundaberg Rum experience, sign up to the one-of-a-kind Blend Your Own Rum tour. Immerse yourself and see, touch, smell and taste your way through your tour, before spending time with your expert guides teaching you about the art of tasting rum – straight from the barrel. Pick your favourites and make your perfect blend of the Master Distillers range to take home.

Alana Lowes was a guest of Creative Regions, Bundaberg and Virgin Australia and stayed at The Point Resort Bagara.

This article was written by Alana Lowes and originally appeared on https://travel.virginaustralia.com/au/holidays/flying-foodie-bundaberg

More Bundaberg Winterfeast

11/10/2016/1 Comment/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Region /by Liz Bond

Across the country there are farmers, butchers, chefs and winemakers grabbing every opportunity to connect with food lovers and share their knowledge and their produce. The food bowls – those regions producing fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and wine are now understanding the economic benefits of food tourism.