Behind The Brand: Roza’s Gourmet { Pesto, mayo, chutney, chilli, mustard and dips all natural with no artificial ingredients or preservatives and always 100% gluten free! } Welcome to the goodness that is Roza’s Gourmet. A brand committed to harnessing traditional family recipes with a massive range gorgeous products now available across Australia. They have nothing to hide and are proud of how pure their products are. Director Jasmin sits down to tell us all about the brand and why these products are near and dear to her heart.   ygf: Hi Jasmin! Tell us about yourself and your relationship with Roza’s Gourmet. Hi yum. Readers! Roza’s Gourmet has always been a big part of my life. Mum started the business when I was four, so even as a little girl I remember helping her out in the kitchen by washing herbs and labelling jars. That being said, I never expected to become Director when I was older! When I left school, I actually studied a business degree (at my Dad’s insistence) and landed a graduate role in a large firm. However, corporate life didn’t suit me – so I quit to pursue my passion for acting instead. That’s when Dad suggested I work part-time at Roza’s Gourmet to make some extra income and alleviate the pressure on him. After a few years of trying to juggle the family business and acting, I realised I wasn’t giving my all to either pursuit. I had to make a choice and I couldn’t give up on Mum’s business, so I took it on in 2011.   ygf: It’s amazing what happens when we just let life take it’s course. How did Roza’s Gourmet originally begin? My mother, Roza, started selling her hand-made sauces at the end of our driveway in 1991. It started as a hobby on weekends, but was such a hit with locals that it became a burgeoning business. Mum passed away when I was fourteen, so Dad and I looked after the business until I took over as Director in 2011. The rest is history!  We celebrated our 25th birthday this year, which makes me immensely proud. I still find it amazing that my mother’s hobby has grown into such a successful Australian brand.   ygf: Happy birthday to Roza’s Gourmet! What an amazing accomplishment for the whole family. What’s the best part about the business? Roza’s Gourmet lovingly creates a range of over 40 gourmet sauces and dips. They are all 100% natural, gluten free and preservative free. Everything we make is free from soy, msg, colours, thickeners, and flavours. We also have products to suit various dietary requirements, ranging from dairy free and vegan to low FODMAP. Roza’s Gourmet is old-fashioned in all the best ways. We have personal relationships with all our stockists, and are proud to support independent grocers and small retailers. We also manufacture our products locally, keeping jobs and opportunities within the local Australian community. It’s a unique approach nowadays – and keeps our name synonymous with taste and quality. Our sauces and dips have always been made with the freshest ingredients. That was the case in my mother’s kitchen, and it remains the case today. So they just sort of ended up being naturally gluten free! It wasn’t a conscious choice when the business was started, but it’s definitely something we pride ourselves on now. Roza’s Gourmet started as my mother’s hobby, and there’s nothing more inspiring than being able to continue her legacy. Our loyal customers and outlets are also an inspiration – their passion for our products is incredibly rewarding!   ygf: We absolutely love that all of Roza’s Gourmet products are 100% gluten free! What does a normal day in your life look like? There is no such thing as a normal day in my life! Being the Director of Roza’s Gourmet is really hectic. One day I’ll be in the office touching base with my team – and the next, I’m travelling to visit new customers and distributors. Doing something different every day keeps my role exciting, but I’m still grateful when I get to work from home. It gives me a semblance of routine!   ygf: I’m sure it’s nonstop for you! Any interesting stories you’d like to share? I think it’s funny that when I was growing up, I was adamant that I would never take over the family business. As a teenager, I even resented its existence – instead of going out on weekends or doing after-school activities, it meant I usually had to help out in the kitchen. Now I’m the Director of Roza’s Gourmet, and it has been my full-time pursuit for the past few years, I wouldn’t want it any other way!   ygf: Good thing you started training at a young age. Little did you know at the time what an amazing future was ahead What’s your favourite sauce from the Roza’s Gourmet range? This is such a difficult question! I love the Smokey Aioli– but as a chilli fan, I also can’t go past the Hot Lover (my dad will tell you that mum named it after him)!   ygf: What is your motto? “Forget about the five year plan”. This is not only my motto for business, but life too. It’s so hard to predict what opportunities (or setbacks) might happen in the next year, let alone five years from now. If you’re flexible, and not overly invested in certain outcomes, it means you can make the most of any given situation.   ygf: What is your vision for the future? Anything exciting in the pipeline? We’d love to keep supporting local communities, and partnering with amazing non-profit organisations like the Humane Society International. At the moment, we’re donating 20c to them for every jar of Vegan Mayonnaise that is sold. And yes, there are a lot of exciting things coming up for Roza’s Gourmet! One of them is our overseas expansion into the Asia Pacific region – we now have stockists in Hong Kong and Singapore. Exporting our