Businesses of Banyule’ presents – Brazen Brownies, Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe’s best kept secret, Brazen Brownies, established in 2015, is set to roar. Born from their great love of all things food, husband and wife and business owners, George and Caroline, cornered a niche market and cemented their success. It was their passion which led them away from the corporate world to follow their food dream.
Brazen’s brownies are designed, baked and packed by hand. George and Caroline have transformed the rustic brownie into a new age dessert that is cheeky and fun, just like brownie designer Caroline. Given Caroline’s blonde hair, it is little wonder where the inspiration for the indulgent “Very Berry Blonde” white chocolate brownie with swirls of baked raspberry coulis came from! George also let us in on their newest soon to be released flavour, a luscious dark chocolate brownie with an infusion of hazelnut fudge and topped with roasted hazelnuts. Brazen’s current range comprises six very different flavours including a gluten free brownie. “Fulfilling our customers’ needs is important to us, which is why we will soon be offering a range of protein and vegan brownies. Watch this space all you vegans and sportspeople,” George said.
Caroline and George’s dream is to build their Brazen brand, take it Australia-wide and eventually into international export markets. Every dollar earned is reinvested into the Brazen brand.
The couple support local farmers and businesses by buying only the best ingredients for their brownies, without the usual focus on price and margins which is sadly commonplace in much of the food manufacturing industry. Not merely sourcing the finest local ingredients but also understanding processes are a measure of the significance they place on quality.
They recently toured a free-range egg farm in Bendigo, strengthening their belief in the importance of supporting regional Australian farmers. Their aim is to build relationships and trust with local suppliers, farmers and consumers. They regularly travel across Victoria in search of the best weekend markets, which are attended by their ever professional and smiling staff with branding foremost to strengthen their brand positioning. “The Mornington Peninsula has adopted us as one of their own and we hope to achieve this not only closer to home but in other regions,” George said.
They have also won the hearts of local stockists. On his first tasting of Brazen Brownies, DOCASA Ivanhoe owner and experienced restaurateur Rik Lonigro exclaimed: “These are the best brownies I’ve tasted!” George is proud that their passion continues to be driven by customer experiences, who are often heard saying ‘OMG’, ‘out of this world’ and ‘a taste that blows your head off’.
Operating a small business which started as a home-based business has its challenges. While most business owners have lofty visions and goals, the reality is that there are constraints. Brazen Brownies is growing at a rapid rate and need to meet the demand by expanding to its own commercial kitchen. They are being increasingly approached by many large organisations and conference exhibitors but do not as yet have the resources they need to fill large orders, such as more staff and a large manufacturing facility. Unfortunately this means they have to turn down many great opportunities. “Some would say this is one of the best problems a business could face, and we tend to agree. The fact is we strongly believe in our product and know we have a gem on our hands, so with continued support and hard work, I know we will get there soon,” George said.
For more information on Brazen Brownies call 0488 771 686 or follow the business on social media; on Instagram and Facebook @brazenbrownies