A new digital marketplace called Fair Foodie is giving Aussie drinks suppliers a new way to connect with consumers.
Fair Foodie has a mission to celebrate Australia’s diverse food and beverage producers through an interactive platform, bringing farmers, chefs, providores, brewers, winemakers and other artisans together.
Among the drinks companies already involved are PS Soda, Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Spirits and Cattleyard Brewing Co.
Fair Foodie is the brainchild of Lisa Papallo who noticed farmers markets and their stallholders doing it tough due to COVID-19 restrictions. So she fast-tracked her plans to launch the digital marketplace.
“Shopping local is very important to me, but with the temporary closing of my local farmers market during the pandemic, I didn’t have a place to purchase the usual pantry essentials I loved and that I knew were grown or made in my local area,” Papallo said.
“Through Fair Foodie I’ve been able to connect with small, independent business owners - from dairy farmers through to brewers and food truck operators - all with immense passion about the products they make, but little by way of online or bricks and mortar storefronts. I saw this as a new opportunity to showcase these producers all in one place, giving them the opportunity to connect with more consumers and sell their goods.”
The Fair Foodie platform allows vendors to sign up, free of charge, and create their own personalised digital shopfront. Each profile features images, videos, descriptions, products and pricing managed completely by the vendor. Vendors also have the opportunity to list and promote their own events.
Papallo’s goal was to make the onboarding process simple for any producer without any lengthy application or approval process, regardless of how big or small the business was.
“Many of these producers may not have experience building a digital storefront, so we want to make the process as easy and quick as possible to connect them with the Fair Foodie shopper," she said.
"Rather than spending weeks or months building an expensive website, a small business can now have their own customised digital storefront within an hour."
Fernando Tellier Motti, Director, Cattleyard Brewing Co, said: “Fair Foodie provides an easy platform to promote our business and sales to an entirely new customer base.
"The biggest challenges we face at the moment are distribution and brand awareness. Fair Foodie allows us to be part of a growing community who supports Australian businesses. It also gives us the ability to use a tech-friendly platform.”
In terms of selling products through the platform, producers have the option of directing customers to their own web stores or, for a nominal 5% processing fee, utilise Fair Foodie’s secure shopping platform (powered by PayPal) for shoppers to place orders directly.
All fulfilment is managed through the vendors on the platform, giving them the freedom to choose their preferred delivery service and timeframes.
“The control of delivery by vendors on the site ensures that no hidden charges are worn by either the producer or consumer - putting more money in producers pockets and giving these business owners a fair go,” Papallo said.
At launch, the Fair Foodie platform currently hosts approximately 25 producers across NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, featuring a breadth of retailers from restaurants, food trucks, farm-fresh produce and cafes to kombucha makers, non-alcoholic spirits and baked goods.
Vendors interested in the digital marketplace should visit www.fairfoodie.com.au and select ‘List Your Business’ to sign up.
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