RAW TALES GIVES READERS AN INSIGHT LOOK INTO VEGAN COMPANIES AND THE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND THE BRAND. WE ASKED OUR FEATURES TO BE RAW AND TRANSPARENT IN SHARING THEIR CHALLENGES, SUCCESS, AND THE PASSION THAT CONTINUES TO DRIVE THEIR BUSINESS.
We gladly introduce the Raw Tale of Irina Bradley, Owner of Australian based bakery Quokka Cakes.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A VEGAN?
I became vegan towards the end of 2013. I watched a video about marketing strategies that demonstrated that I was complicit in cruelty towards animals because I chose to believe labels that are designed to sell, rather than to inform. I was outraged: “No! No, I did not agree to look the other way! I had no idea!” So I forwarded this video to my husband and, when he arrived home from work, we unanimously decided that we would go vegan immediately
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START QUOKKA CAKES?
I was always very artistic – paper and pencils could occupy me for hours – and I naturally went through many hobbies (from making polymer clay figurines all the way to cross-stitching). Best of all, I loved decorating cakes. I posted a few pictures of my cakes (that I had made for family and friends) on a local vegan page, asking if this was something the community wanted, and I was overwhelmed with positive responses. There was a huge gap in the market; the only option at the time was to DIY – or to skip cake altogether, which doesn’t quite work for events such as weddings and jubilees! So other vegans and my love for art inspired me to go forward with it. I never thought before that I could be a business owner, but here I am
WHAT PRODUCT/SERVICE DO YOU OFFER?
I make all sorts of baked goods for all occasions, from highly decorated, multi-tier cakes, mirror glazed mousse cakes, all the way to humble cupcakes, doughnuts, and vanilla slices. I supply a couple of local vegan cafes with gluten-free cakes, cake pops, muffins, etc., and I will be supplying some non-vegan cafes in the near future. I do make individual cakes and macarons for birthdays, weddings, corporate events, baby showers… for vegans and non-vegans alike.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WITH HAVING A VEGAN COMPANY?
Honestly, I think that starting a vegan company is the best decision one could possibly make. Aside from the obvious benefits to health, animals and the planet, there are fewer rules that apply. For example, food production rules and regulations are very strict, due to cross-contamination and harmful bacteria in “dangerous foods”, but, because all my products are vegan (i.e., safe foods), I have to follow very few of those. (Obviously, general hygiene rules still apply). Possibly the biggest challenge was the legal side of it: taxes, applying for a business number/name, establishing the correct paperwork routine, etc.
“DON’T LOOK BACK – DO IT – THE FUTURE IS VEGAN”-IRINA BRADLEY
HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THIS CHALLENGE?
I took a couple of free seminars from the Australian Taxation Office helped me to clear things up, and my accountant friends also gave me great pointers.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR COMPANY?
I would say that the goalposts are moving constantly. I am not yet used to being “famous”, but I hear people I have never seen before call my name, and I often get an enthusiastic “OMG!” at gatherings when I say that I am the person behind Quokka Cakes. I count that as a success. The next step is for Quokka Cakes to be well known within Australia, and eventually outside of Australia, too. It might take me a few years to achieve that, but I believe I am on my way.
WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?
When it comes to cake design, I see images flash in my mind’s eye. My external inspiration comes from friends, family, and customers, as well as the vegan community. These people always have my back, encourage me and inspire me to persevere and to continue going forward with the business. The biggest inspiration of all for me is nature.
