Aug 10, 2021
Meraki Produce is a locally owned and operated café, kitchen, and catering business. Owner and operator, Jacquie, is originally from Corowa and was a primary school teacher before following her passion and taking a risk to open Meraki three and a half years ago.
Meraki pride themselves on making everything from scratch using the freshest ingredients to create healthy meals for everyone. There are four facets of the business: in store grab-and-go meals, catering, weekly meal delivery, and cooking classes for kids, teens, and adults. Jacquie and her team have worked hard to create a space that isn’t just a kitchen, and neither just a café – it’s both.
Like many small-business owners, Jacquie wears a lot of hats – but misses her chef’s hat the most. “I love cooking, but with the expanding business I haven’t been able to do that as much,” she said, but her favourite part about the business is her small, close-knit team – followed closely by their community. “We have an open space so that when people come in, they can talk to the chefs, and have a taste testing of different meals if they like. It’s a really open environment – which is why I’m really close with a lot of community members because you get to see and speak with them a lot.”
Jacquie has always had an interest in food and healthy living; before becoming a primary school teacher she studied a Bachelors of Exercise Science & Psychology but has always had an interest in kids cooking and teaching people how to create their own healthy meals. “I took a year off from being a leading teacher to start doing kids lunchboxes and healthy meals for people, and within six months it took off from my home kitchen,” Jacquie says on our call. Still dealing with COVID-19 and intermittent lockdowns, Jacquie has persevered and adapted the business to remain open throughout by turning to online orders and contactless meal deliveries. Jacquie credits having the online platform set up in the early stage of her business as to why they were able to pivot their business model so quickly.
Meraki are currently in the process of building a new purpose-built site. As their business model is so multi-faceted, Jacquie couldn’t find any cafes with a kitchen big enough to also run catering and cooking classes. They have now found a new site and are creating a warm and home-style feel café alongside a commercial kitchen, hopefully opening in November.
Meraki produces over 100+ recipes, all on a rotating basis so choosing a favourite is quite the task. “We just had an order for 50 laksa’s, so that’s meant cooking 30-40L of soup so I’m a bit sick of soup at the moment. But, if I had to pick just one, it would be the Korean Chicken Bao Buns – they aren’t on right now, but hopefully soon we can bring them back.”
You can find Meraki Produce at 2/449A Dean Street or online at merakiproduce.com.au
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Amelie is our Marketing Lead and currently studying for a B.A. in Business and Visual Arts. She brings her visual arts skills and eye for colour and detail to our graphics and design for the business.
Amelie uses her skills as a digital native in our Marketing team and works across our social media channels. Amelie provides administrative support and assists the recruitment team in finding great candidates.
Sarah joins the team at Total HRM following her time in a regional real estate company, most recently in HR. She brings a solid understanding of the unique dynamics and challenges within small and medium-sized businesses.
Prior to real estate, Sarah worked in the airline industry, providing her with excellent skills in customer service and how to remain calm in a crisis.
Known for her positive energy, Sarah approaches her role with enthusiasm and a genuine desire to support and uplift those she works with. With her experience in HR and recruitment, Sarah is committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, professional growth, and employee well-being. Her ability to connect with people and create a positive work atmosphere contributes to the overall success of teams and the business as a whole.
Ashly is one of our most experienced HR Business Partners with over 20 years of experience in manufacturing and hospitality, both local and overseas, ranging from large multinational companies to small family-owned operations. Throughout his career, Ashly regularly led teams with over 30 employees while continually growing the business and aligning business strategies with employee capabilities.
Ashly has qualifications in Applied Management and Human Resources and a strong leadership and people management background. Ashly combines his experience with his qualifications to develop great workplace cultures while delivering practical support.
As our Business Services Manager, David keeps everything that is Total HRM ticking along – from overseeing administration and finance functions, liaising with clients and suppliers, to IT troubleshooting and keeping everyone on track to deliver effective customer service to all our clients.
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Kim is well known for her ability to understand the ‘real’ issues within businesses and to provide solutions for sustained business growth.
Kim has over 20 years of experience in human resources and 15 years of business consulting experience, and she holds post-graduate Business and Human Resource qualifications.
She has vast and varied experience in senior consulting roles across varying disciplines and HR management positions within retail, manufacturing and professional service sectors.
Linda is the Managing Director of Total HRM and has worked for over twenty five years in business and consulting, including executive and senior management roles. She has worked here and overseas in numerous industries, including mining, energy and government. Her experience in areas such as production, strategic planning, finance, OHS/WHS, and lecturing in Human Resources Management at La Trobe University provides her with a unique blend of business and HR capability.
Linda has led comprehensive organisational restructures and implemented programs to improve the effectiveness of businesses with clear alignment between individuals’ contributions and organisational outcomes. She works with various local boards and executive teams in the region. She is a Certified Professional Member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.