NAIDOC Week Collaboration

July 04, 2024

We've collaborated with the queen of native foods — Mindy Woods to create a custom gelato special in celebration of NAIDOC week. Available in all stores on the 9th of July, while stock lasts.

NAIDOC Week held every year in early July, celebrates and recognises the achievements, history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples. We worked closely with proud Bundjalung woman Mindy Woods to develop the flavour, using roasted wattleseed from a native food supplier.

We've named the special after this year's national NAIDOC theme — Keep The Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud: wattleseed tiramisu gelato with wattleseed soaked sponge.

20% of profits from this flavour will be donated to Country as Teacher — a not-for-profit run by Bundjalung educators.

Mindy has shared the history and traditional information surrounding wattleseed with experience from running her restaurant Karkalla Byron Bay:

Many varieties of wattle grow throughout the arid and coastal areas of Australia. This variety is coastal wattleseed (Acacia sophorae) — a medium-sized seed that is tasty and very nutritious.

After harvesting, the seeds are roasted and crushed into flour between flat grinding stones, before being mixed with water to make a dough. The dough is cooked over fire or coals to make cakes or damper.

Wattleseeds are a food source that has been eaten by First Nations Australians, for thousands of years. It provided our ancestors with a rich source of protein and carbohydrate, containing potassium, calcium, iron and zinc in fairly high concentrations. With a low glycemic index, they are good for diabetics, providing a steady stream of sugars that do not produce sudden rises in blood glucose levels.

With a roasted coffee-chocolate flavour and earthy notes, it's a versatile ingredient to add to sweet and savoury dishes: