Aussie dads land deal with Coles and Woolworths without a single prior sale — A 'game-changer' for people with allergies!
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When Seong-Lee Ang and his business partner set out to solve a problem, they had no idea they would end up landing deals with two of the biggest supermarket chains in Australia.
But that's exactly what happened after an experience 'threw' Ang's family 'upside down.'.
The 45-year-old disclosed that both of his children suffer from severe anaphylactic food allergies — a condition that can cause life-threatening reactions to the body, including the swelling of the throat which can constrict and tighten the airways, making it difficult for sufferers to breathe.
Mr Ang said: 'My daughter is allergic to dairy, egg, whole nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish and citrus seeds and that’s just the list we have tested so far.'
'It’s been pretty awful and it’s been a real challenge having such severe allergies. Eating out is really difficult, we take our own food for our daughter as no restaurant can cater to her allergies.'
'We have had multiple close calls, hospital visits and ambulances called and as she was heading towards school age it was most frightening thinking about her being at school with hundreds of other children eating lunch around her.'
Mr Ang’s family struggled with finding a product that is safe for their kids as both suffer from severe anaphylactic food allergies. Credit: news.com.au.
He also noted that Melbourne's stretch of COVID-19 lockdowns did not help with the situation, as the family could not physically go to supermarket stores to check each item for their ingredients, claiming that except for Vegemite and jam, every item on the spread aisle of the main supermarkets contained nuts.
'I guess we were thinking what is an easy thing to pack into school lunch boxes and it’s a sandwich but the spreads are really limited. There are hundreds of spreads in the spreads aisles and most contain nuts.'
'There are “no nut” policies across the country where children can’t take peanut butter or Nutella sandwiches to school. It became our mission to solve this big problem, so it’s not just for allergy kids but all the children that would love to take a peanut butter sandwich to school and can’t.'
The dad-of-two then quickly thought of a solution that could not only help his own family but could also help other families in a similar situation.
And the idea has blossomed into a brand which is now known as Buddee - an inclusive, 'school-safe' range of spreads that is perfect for packed lunches.
However, since allergy-free products are 'notorious' for tasting bad, Mr Ang and his co-founder Rodney Chieng recognised that they were in for a challenge and bet around $400,000 of their own pockets to realise their vision.
Additionally, the pair knew that products of this kind often get stocked in health food aisles, which they said was something they struggle with as they want the spreads to be available in the mainstream aisle.
So, when the product development was led by Mr Chieng, a father of three, it took 60 iterations of their initial chocolate spread before the duo came up with the perfect taste.
'Most of the first ones were disasters, in truth because of my children’s allergies I really wanted to make something that my daughter could eat and she’s not just allergic to nuts … so it was very limiting in terms of the ingredients we could use as we really wanted it to be allergen friendly,' Mr Ang said, admitting that the first few spreads tasted 'awful'.
One of the main taste-testers was his daughter, who, according to him, started to genuinely like them by version 30.
He joked: 'Pretty much every day my children want a Buddee sandwich or the spread on toast or to dip carrots in. They eat it daily so they are going to put me out of business.'
The business partners recognised that it was a challenge for them to make the products available in mainstream aisles so they made sure that the spreads are delicious. Credit: news.com.au.
However, coming up with a good product was not the only huge achievement for the company...
The duo succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, landing deals with both Woolworths and Coles worth $1 million before they had even sold a single product!
'It’s a testament to the need for this product and there is nothing like Buddee on their shelves,' Mr Ang said.
'There are so many spreads on the shelves but all contain nuts, so there is a big gap in the market we are filling and the supermarkets needed it even though we haven't sold a jar yet.'
'We are trying to find a solution for Australian families and children at school. We want school playgrounds to be inclusive and no one to miss out but instead, they can take Buddee and don’t harm the kids next to them.'
Starting August 15, Buddee Chocolate and Smooth spreads will be sold at Woolworths shops across the country, while the Buddee Chocolate and Crunchy spreads will start selling for $6.50 each in Coles shops nationwide starting September 2022.
For those of you who might be thinking that the spread is only suitable for kids, you might want to reconsider your perception of this product as Buddee is great for kids and adults alike. The spreads are completely free of the top 10 allergens, including nuts, wheat, soy, dairy, and sesame. The brand also does not use palm oil and is lower in sugar and saturated fat.
We all have our share of life issues. But sometimes, these issues can turn into an entrepreneurial opportunity. We mean, who knew you could start a business that helps others in the same situation as you? After all, business is all about perseverance with a mix of luck.
We hope this story inspired you to pursue that goal that you've been holding back because you think that no one believes in you! Feel free to comment or reach out to us, we'll definitely give you love!
But that's exactly what happened after an experience 'threw' Ang's family 'upside down.'.
The 45-year-old disclosed that both of his children suffer from severe anaphylactic food allergies — a condition that can cause life-threatening reactions to the body, including the swelling of the throat which can constrict and tighten the airways, making it difficult for sufferers to breathe.
Mr Ang said: 'My daughter is allergic to dairy, egg, whole nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish and citrus seeds and that’s just the list we have tested so far.'
'It’s been pretty awful and it’s been a real challenge having such severe allergies. Eating out is really difficult, we take our own food for our daughter as no restaurant can cater to her allergies.'
'We have had multiple close calls, hospital visits and ambulances called and as she was heading towards school age it was most frightening thinking about her being at school with hundreds of other children eating lunch around her.'
Mr Ang’s family struggled with finding a product that is safe for their kids as both suffer from severe anaphylactic food allergies. Credit: news.com.au.
He also noted that Melbourne's stretch of COVID-19 lockdowns did not help with the situation, as the family could not physically go to supermarket stores to check each item for their ingredients, claiming that except for Vegemite and jam, every item on the spread aisle of the main supermarkets contained nuts.
'I guess we were thinking what is an easy thing to pack into school lunch boxes and it’s a sandwich but the spreads are really limited. There are hundreds of spreads in the spreads aisles and most contain nuts.'
'There are “no nut” policies across the country where children can’t take peanut butter or Nutella sandwiches to school. It became our mission to solve this big problem, so it’s not just for allergy kids but all the children that would love to take a peanut butter sandwich to school and can’t.'
The dad-of-two then quickly thought of a solution that could not only help his own family but could also help other families in a similar situation.
And the idea has blossomed into a brand which is now known as Buddee - an inclusive, 'school-safe' range of spreads that is perfect for packed lunches.
However, since allergy-free products are 'notorious' for tasting bad, Mr Ang and his co-founder Rodney Chieng recognised that they were in for a challenge and bet around $400,000 of their own pockets to realise their vision.
Additionally, the pair knew that products of this kind often get stocked in health food aisles, which they said was something they struggle with as they want the spreads to be available in the mainstream aisle.
So, when the product development was led by Mr Chieng, a father of three, it took 60 iterations of their initial chocolate spread before the duo came up with the perfect taste.
'Most of the first ones were disasters, in truth because of my children’s allergies I really wanted to make something that my daughter could eat and she’s not just allergic to nuts … so it was very limiting in terms of the ingredients we could use as we really wanted it to be allergen friendly,' Mr Ang said, admitting that the first few spreads tasted 'awful'.
One of the main taste-testers was his daughter, who, according to him, started to genuinely like them by version 30.
He joked: 'Pretty much every day my children want a Buddee sandwich or the spread on toast or to dip carrots in. They eat it daily so they are going to put me out of business.'
The business partners recognised that it was a challenge for them to make the products available in mainstream aisles so they made sure that the spreads are delicious. Credit: news.com.au.
However, coming up with a good product was not the only huge achievement for the company...
The duo succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, landing deals with both Woolworths and Coles worth $1 million before they had even sold a single product!
'It’s a testament to the need for this product and there is nothing like Buddee on their shelves,' Mr Ang said.
'There are so many spreads on the shelves but all contain nuts, so there is a big gap in the market we are filling and the supermarkets needed it even though we haven't sold a jar yet.'
'We are trying to find a solution for Australian families and children at school. We want school playgrounds to be inclusive and no one to miss out but instead, they can take Buddee and don’t harm the kids next to them.'
Starting August 15, Buddee Chocolate and Smooth spreads will be sold at Woolworths shops across the country, while the Buddee Chocolate and Crunchy spreads will start selling for $6.50 each in Coles shops nationwide starting September 2022.
For those of you who might be thinking that the spread is only suitable for kids, you might want to reconsider your perception of this product as Buddee is great for kids and adults alike. The spreads are completely free of the top 10 allergens, including nuts, wheat, soy, dairy, and sesame. The brand also does not use palm oil and is lower in sugar and saturated fat.
We all have our share of life issues. But sometimes, these issues can turn into an entrepreneurial opportunity. We mean, who knew you could start a business that helps others in the same situation as you? After all, business is all about perseverance with a mix of luck.
We hope this story inspired you to pursue that goal that you've been holding back because you think that no one believes in you! Feel free to comment or reach out to us, we'll definitely give you love!
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