Cooee Foods Australia acquires Creative Native Foods

Indigenous-owned Cooee Foods Australia, a supplier to major grocery retailers nationwide as well as Qantas (ASX: QAN), has acquired Australia’s longest-running native ingredients supplier Creative Native Foods for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2023 by Wiradjuri entrepreneur Terri-Ann 'Tezzi' Daniel and based in Lake Macquarie, Cooee has evolved from kitchen bench baking into a multi category food business with allergen friendly products stocked across major supermarket groups, convenience retailers and food service channels.

Cooee produces more than 90,000 cookies a month from a dedicated peanut free facility in Melbourne, with its products sold through more than 600 Ampol Foodary stores, Woolworths Metro outlets and IGA stores nationwide as well as Spar in Queensland, along with family size stock keeping units (SKUs) rolling out through Metcash. 

The company's Nan’s Jam Drop cookie infused with native Davidson plum has been served on domestic Qantas flights since a deal was struck with the airline this year, while Cooe has also expanded into pet care, launching its Bunji range through 163 Bunnings Warehouse stores around the country.

The group is building on this momentum with the purchase of Adelaide-based Creative Native Foods, which was founded in 2001 by acclaimed chef and author Andrew Fielke, playing a foundational role in introducing Australian native ingredients to fine dining and food tourism across the country.

Its range spans raw native ingredients including Kakadu plum, Davidson plum, wattleseed and lemon myrtle, through to chef developed products such as spice blends, chutneys, native infused salamis and ready to use curry pastes. 

Creative Native has supplied native ingredients and chef developed products to iconic tourism operators including The Ghan and Indian Pacific trains, Outback Spirit Tours, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia and SeaLink ferries. The company’s buffalo massaman curry alone has been served by the tonne on Australia’s iconic rail journeys.

Its customer list spans some of Australia’s most respected hospitality groups and brands, including Attica, Botanic, Mid’n by Mark Olive, Maiden, Archie Rose Distilling Co, Coco Black Chocolate, Compass Group and Unilever.

The acquisition was formally marked with a traditional smoking ceremony and unites Cooee’s fast-growing consumer and food service business with Creative Native Foods’ quarter-century legacy.

"I’m on a mission to build a native food movement," says Daniel, Cooe's founder. "Right now, when you buy something off the shelf with Kakadu plum or wattleseed in it, less than two per cent of those products are Indigenous owned. We’re changing that."

She applauds Fielke's decades spent putting native ingredients in front of the best chefs in the country. He will remain with the business as a consultant, focusing on product development and culinary innovation to ensure his deep expertise continues to shape the sector.

"Without businesses like Creative Native Foods, there is no circular economy of growing, harvesting and transforming these incredible foods," she says.

"These foods are among the best in the world," she adds. "Bush tomato has nearly eight grams of protein per 100 grams, and it’s a fruit. It’s naturally grown, nutrient-dense, and chefs are calling for it every day."

Cooee says the acquisition is designed to unlock scale while strengthening opportunities for Aboriginal growers and suppliers across the native food supply chain, as it brings scale, distribution capability and brand momentum to the acquisition.

Creative Native Foods currently employs five staff and has historically grown through inbound demand without a dedicated sales team or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) capability.

"The growth opportunity is enormous," says Daniel. "Our first move is to bring on additional full-time roles, including a national sales manager for food service. Ideally, that will be an Indigenous person with a deep passion for cooking with native ingredients."

Beyond commercial growth, the acquisition is also driven by a desire to protect Australian native foods from global appropriation.

"Macadamia became a Hawaiian industry. Lemon myrtle is now grown overseas. Finger lime is cultivated globally, with some even claiming it’s native elsewhere," says Fielke.

"We need to take ownership of what belongs on Australian plates."

Creative Native Foods will continue to trade under its existing name for food service clients, with future retail brand development under consideration as part of a broader growth strategy.

All staff have been retained, with Cooee committing to professional development, long-term career pathways and respectful growth as the business expands.

“We’re not just preserving what Andrew built,” Daniel says.

“We’re taking it to the next level, while staying true to the mission of making native foods part of everyday Australian life.”