Ginger & Co make premium, hand-crafted superfood latte, chai and herbal tea blends from locally grown ingredients where possible. Their products are 100% natural, gluten free and vegan and very tasty! We’ve included their popular Golden Latte blend in some of our gift hampers, and we have loved introducing people to this delicious turmeric and ginger coffee alternative.
They’ve also nailed the customer service game, having been super lovely to work with from day one and supportive of all their stockists and retailers. They have an active presence on social media and are extremely passionate about what they do. We know they’re going to go far!
We talk to Vi, one half of Ginger & Co’s brother/sister duo, about their business and what advice they’d give someone just starting out.
Tell us a little about yourself – who are you and what are you passionate about? How did your business, Ginger & Co, start?
Our names are Vi and Anna and we are brother and sister. We are eight years apart and were at very different stages of our lives when we decided to start Ginger & Co. I was working as a corporate financial advisor while my sister was finishing up her postgrad in Media & Communications. However, we both are creative types (my sister a little more than me!) and have always been passionate about similar things. We both love to create things and we both admire the beautiful little things around us. Both of us are coffee lovers (me earlier than my sister) and we both love the art of creating and enjoying food and beverages. Because of our Asian heritage we both love things a little spicy and when it comes to hot drinks, both of us absolutely love ginger! So, one day we just thought hey, why not create a ginger drink? And that is how Ginger & Co and our very first blend – Ginger Latte, was born! Fast forward a year later and we now have over 15 blends of latte, chai and loose-leaf tea (many of which contain our favourite ingredient – ginger).
Who are your customers and what do they love most about your latte and chai blends?
We supply our latte, chai and tea to cafes and specialty retailers around Australia (currently about 30) and also direct to customers online. Both Anna and I are suckers for premium quality and taste and this really translates to how our products are made. We have had many customers tell us they can really notice the difference in quality between our products and others in the market (being our products are more premium in taste). We grind certain ingredients in-house (such as ginger and turmeric) using ultra high-speed machines to obtain super-fine powder (10-12 microns, to be exact!) so that our latte is smoother to drink. We’re also really proud of our sticky chai and we have built quite an ardent fan base for it! We use 100% red stringy bark honey, which is arguably the most fragrant of all native honey, to give our sticky chai that extra edge. You get an idea of how much thought we put into selecting and processing our ingredients!
What has been your proudest moment in regards to your business?
We recently participated in the Thailand Coffee Festival and we were very surprised by the hugely positive reception and praise from the Thai audience. This gave us a lot of confidence in the quality, taste and uniqueness of our brand and products. So yes, this is definitely one of the proudest moments yet for us!
What do you find most challenging about running your own business?
There are so many challenges it is difficult to pick one! One of the things we find challenging is to maintain perspective and be patient. We are living in a world where we are so used to instant results and gratification and sometimes it’s very difficult when we don’t see the outcomes that we want straight away. But we are getting better at this we think!
Do you have any tips for someone who wants to start their own business but might be feeling a little lost or overwhelmed?
Start small and take things as they come. Don’t over-plan as things rarely turn out the way you envisioned (especially in the short term). Focus on the key things that you think will make your business successful in the long run, such as the quality and uniqueness of your offering. I recently read an article on the rise and fall of a local start up Shoes of Prey. A key takeaway from that story is that what transpires in reality can be quite different from market research. Sometimes learning by doing is better than over-relying on research and planning!
Where do you go for inspiration?
It’s different for me and Anna. For me I have always been a curious person (or a nerd, you may say!) and I like to find out about why things are the way they are. So, I read and watch a lot of scientific things and this gives me ideas for creating new recipes. Whereas for Anna she is a social butterfly and likes to visit cafes and talk to people for inspiration. One thing we do have in common is our love for artsy and beautiful things. So, we often find things we like on Pinterest and share them with each other.
What are you working on right now?
Many things! We are doing a rebranding of Ginger & Co to create a more fun and casual vibe while maintaining the premium look. We are also in the midst of launching our nutraceutical range which we are SUPER excited about! There will be three blends to start with – Immunity Latte, Lung Detox Latte and Sleep Latte and there will be a few more by the end of the year. And lastly, we are currently expanding to Thailand and will have our products stocked with a very famous health food subscription business over there!
How can people find you?
Online via our website www.gingerco.com.au as well as on Facebook & Instagram @gingerco.au