Gamilaraay Man and Director of Native Foods at Native Foodways - Corey Grech with Monica Mckenzie at the Carriageworks Farmers Makets.

Gamilaraay Man and Director of Native Foods at Native Foodways - Corey Grech - adding Lemon Myrtle to some native pastries in the Native Foodways test kitchen.

09 October 2023

Native Food Bakery Fundraising and Launch

Grant Amount: $20,000

Region: NSW

Delivered by: Native Foodways

Year funded: 2023

Project status: Complete

The Challenge

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are reputed to be the first farmers on this land and have been living in reciprocity with Country for thousands of years. However, as a result of colonisation, First Nations communities have faced substantial systemic economic and social barriers to food sovereignty and security. Additionally, their communities and cultures are strongly connected with traditional bushfoods but unfortunately, rarely are they compensated fairly for their knowledge or benefit from the production of these foods.

The Innovation

Native Foodways is a First Nations-owned and led social enterprise.

The team is working towards a more regenerative and culturally respectful native food system that benefits First Peoples. It’s all about First Peoples practising Culture, healing Country, and nourishing Community.

In 2023, Native Foodways decided to focus on the very end of the value chain. The sourcing, cooking, and selling of native foods through retail outlets and kitchens. Sustainable Table has contributed funding to establishing the first Native Foodways Bakery at Wintergarden.

The Wintergarden Shopfront in the heart of Sydney is a bakery. It is the first Indigenous owned and led bakery on Gadigal land since colonisation. Of course, there were many bakers on Gadigal land before 1788. And Native Foodways is proud to be reviving the oldest baking culture in the world.

The Native Foodways Bakery will:

Create culturally meaningful employment for First Nations people, directly in the bakery and indirectly in the supply chain. Culturally meaningful employment leads to better health and wellbeing for employees and their families.
Create demand for native foods made by First Nations farmers and food makers. Supporting First Nations farmers to grow more and have more positive environmental impacts through their regenerative farming practices. Regenerative farming of native foods uses less inputs, effectively captures carbon, improves drought, flood, and fire resilience simply by virtue of the fact that the feed being planted is indigenous to these lands.
Create a platform to share native food stories and educate people about the richness of Indigenous Cultures and the importance of Indigenous Knowledge. This contributes to respect for Indigenous Peoples and aids in the decolonisation of the food system and broader social systems.

Why did Sustainable Table fund this project?

The Native Foodways team is well-trusted and respected. The bakery has the potential to provide significant change and opportunities for First Nations people and the community.

Please consider donating today to help us support more projects like this and regenerate Australian food and farming.