• At the Food & Drink Business + PKN LIVE breakfast forum on 11 October, a panel of brand owners led by editor Kim Berry will explore the ins and outs of what it takes to be a brave brand.
    At the Food & Drink Business + PKN LIVE breakfast forum on 11 October, a panel of brand owners led by editor Kim Berry will explore the ins and outs of what it takes to be a brave brand.
Close×

West Australian dairy institution Brownes Dairy is reaching out across the expanse of Australia with its first foray into the national market. Brownes Dairy Wiggles Yoghurt Pouches will be available through Woolworths nationally and are the only yoghurt pouches for kids to contain both prebiotics and probiotics in the country.

Brownes Dairy senior marketing manager Nicole Ohm will be one of the hand-picked five brand owners making up the panel at the annual Food & Drink Business + PKN LIVE breakfast forum on 11 October.

This year, our theme is Brands Behaving Bravely, and you can join us for a morning of delving deeply into why brands must evolve and grow to remain relevant, while simultaneously remaining true to themselves in order to be effective. And that might involve some bold steps along the journey from concept to shelf.

Ohm will be joined with other brave brand owners with compelling stories to share: Teresa Cutter (The Healthy Chef); Natalie Moubarak (+Hemp); Cameron Prowse (The Alternative Meat Co), and Michael McNulty, of Blue Diamond Growers, owner of Almond Breeze.

The event, which includes a full sit-down breakfast, will take place at the Arts Centre, Melbourne CBD, from 7.30am - 11.00am on 11 October. Book your tickets here

Brownes branching out

Brownes collects around 150 million litres of milk every year from more than 50 dairies in the state's South West. Its portfolio includes milk, cream, yoghurt, flavoured milk, juice and desserts. In August it was recognised as one of the most innovative manufacturing companies in Australia at The Australian Financial Review BOSS annual Most Innovative Companies Awards (F&DB 14/08/2019).

Some of the innovations over the years have included: pioneering pasteurised milk in 1949; launching Western Australia’s first chocolate milk in 1951; introducing yoghurt to the state in 1959; and making world headlines last year with Top Down Yoghurt. 

Ohm said going national has been a long-term ambition for the company.

“At Brownes Dairy, we’re always looking to innovate to create the most nutritious and tasty products for our little ones, and being the first in Australia to create yoghurt pouches for kids with both prebiotics and probiotics solidifies our recent honour of being named one of AFR Boss’ Most Innovative Companies,” Ohm says. 

“We all know about probiotics, the live cultures that aid in digestive health, but many people are unaware of the importance and even the existence of prebiotics. Think of prebiotics as food for your probiotic – it helps the good bacteria grow, giving our yoghurt pouches an extra boost for kids.”

Prebiotics naturally occur in fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and assist in the growth of probiotics (good bacteria).

The prebiotic used in the Brownes Dairy yoghurt pouches is a fibre extracted from a plant called chicory root using hot water. 
Another health benefit of the yoghurt pouches is that they are an all-natural and non-GMO product, with no added sugar, artificial colours or flavours, and are preservative and lactose free.

The pouches are available for recycling specifically via REDcycle bins at Coles and Woolworths.

Food & Drink Business

Lyre’s Spirit Co and Edenvale received gold medals at the recent World Alcohol-Free Awards, with 11 Australian producers being recognised out of a field of 450 entries.

As almond growing and processor, Select Harvests, nears the end of the 2024 harvest, it says the 2024 crop may be lower than its original forecast, but it is on track to be one of the largest crops the company has ever produced.

Wide Open Agriculture continues to expand the adoption of its lupin protein, Buntine Protein, with two consumer products containing the protein launched into the retail market.