Sunshine Coast the sauce of success for Epicurean

With more than two million Australian households consuming one of their sauces or dressings each week, Epicurean Products is certainly making its mark in the food and agribusiness industry from their Sunshine Coast base in Yandina.

From starting out in a small commercial kitchen in 2004, the company now has more than 30 employees and is a significant contributor to the local economy annually.

Epicurean Products director Tim Spence Thomas said the growth the company has experienced hasn’t taken the focus off the pride it has in its products.

“We still have the devotion to good food and offering customers bespoke, fresh solutions that make life that little bit easier,” Mr Spence Thomas said.

“Our highly trained and dedicated team hand make all of our fresh dressings and sauces and these products are used nationally by a number of major brands within the retail and food service sectors.

“The choice to keep our business on the Sunshine Coast has been a positive move for us, with significant business growth over the last few years.

“A national business needs national infrastructure – good road access, good rail access and good access to Brisbane and the capital cities which this region offers us.

“The Coast also has a good agricultural base and easy access to raw ingredients that are important to our business. It helps us keep our products fresh and innovative.

“There are a lot of other positives being on the Sunshine Coast. It’s a really good place to live, the lifestyle is really attractive, local government is supportive and the people want to support each other.

“This is demonstrated through the support we receive from the Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN) which is Australia’s fastest growing not-for-profit food industry network seeing to promote our region as a premium food hub.

“It’s a fantastic place to do business.”

Economic Development and Innovation Portfolio Cr Steve Robinson said the success seen by Epicurean reflected a trend of growth in the Sunshine Coast’s food and agribusiness processing industry.

“The food and agribusiness industry has been experiencing steady growth for several years, with particular growth seen in the industries processing sector which recorded a 13% value increase in 2016 compared to the previous 12 months,” Cr Robinson said.

“The industry in general is valued at $670 million with more than 900 businesses located on the Sunshine Coast and is one of the seven high-value industries identified in our Regional Economic Development Strategy.

“It’s great to see local success stories such as Epicurean Products, providing jobs for local people and adding to the value of our local economy.”

Community Portfolio Cr Jenny McKay said the Sunshine Coast provided a great community connection for businesses such as Epicurean.

“The lifestyle and community connections offered by our region is of benefit to local businesses, providing a great place to live and work,” Cr McKay said.

“We’re proud of our local business success stories and initiatives such as FAN also shows the support networks available, particularly within the food and agribusiness industry.”

Find out more about Epicurean Products at epicureanproducts.com.au.

Or get in touch with Sunshine Coast Council’s Economic Development branch  www.invest.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au or call 0407 753 645.