Co-founders of The Hemp Butter Co, Hasanthi Perera and Leigh Franklin, are good friends with a common interest, their love of food.
The two founded The Hemp Butter Co while on personal journeys to find healthy food alternatives that didn't compromise on taste. The Hemp Butter Co, founded in 2019, was one of the first businesses to create a hemp seed spread in New Zealand. After spending two years researching and developing, Perera and Franklin launched four products in April 2021.
The pair saw a gap in the market for a non-peanut spread that was high in protein, healthy and delivered on flavour, with peanuts being one of the most significant customer allergens. The challenge was providing a spread easy to incorporate into the daily diet, with commercial flavour profiles suitable for the whole family.
"We used hemp seeds as the base for our spreads for the amazing health benefits, the creamy, nutty flavour, sustainability and the growing demand for plant-based products," shared the pair.
Perera and Franklin said that The Hemp Butter Co's products are superior to other kinds of nut butter due to the dense nutritional profile of the hemp seeds.
"There is no other comparable product in the market. We don't add any oil, and we don't use preservatives. Just all-natural nuts, seeds and spices."
The unique selling proposition of The Hemp Butter Co's products is its high percentage of kiwi-grown hemp seeds and nutritional profile. While some other spreads include a sprinkle of hemp seeds, their products contain a minimum of 30 percent in each butter, with 100 percent in the Original Hemp Butter.
Each of the company's products has abundant nutritional benefits, including a source of protein, omega 3, the optimal range of omega 6 to 3 and all essential amino acids. They are vegan, a source of dietary fibre, preservative-free, made with Kiwi-grown hemp seeds, and proudly manufactured in New Zealand.
The pair shared that all ingredients in their products are locally sourced, and the butter is manufactured at a local family-run nut butter facility in Auckland.
The hemp plant is one of the most sustainable plants in the world, mainly because of the versatility of the plant itself. It is self-fertilising, absorbs high amounts of carbon dioxide and grows fast with little irrigation, all contributing positively to the climate change issue.
"Environmental responsibility is at the forefront of every part of our product lifecycle."
The Co-founders stated that the biggest challenge moving forward was expanding their consumer base and educating consumers about the benefits and easy use of hemp products in daily diets. This is partly due to social media restrictions regarding promoting hemp products, limiting the pair's marketing ability.
The pair go to various stores and markets to combat this, providing samples and education about the benefits of hemp seeds and their products.
Perera and Franklin like to add Original Hemp Butter to smoothies and drizzle Vanilla Hazelnut Hemp Butter over vanilla ice cream when using their products.
"We incorporate our Almond Hemp Butters into chocolate brownies, but our favourite way to use our butter is to spread it onto hot toast."
Outside work, the friends and Co-Founders love travelling and spending time with their young families. Keen food lovers, the pair also enjoy music and pilates.
The pair's vision for the future is for Hemp Butter Co to be a sustainable food manufacturing company that expands within the local and international health and well-being sector,
"We want to be known for sourcing and producing quality, healthy, hemp food products that are affordable and accessible to the whole family. Making a positive impact on our people and the environment is at the core of our business."
