Laura Keogh, the founder of Black Doris, started the business after she became a solo mum, the venture being one that brought her freedom for a work-life balance around her four young children. The ethos of the business was borne from her passion for food, people, and the environment.
"I love having a business that can create real change in the world, starting with our commitment to using New Zealand-grown and organic ingredients and no plastic packaging," said Keogh.
She continued that she has always had a passion for unadulterated foods and whole ingredients. Her passion was strengthened following her son's diagnosis of Autism, as food became an essential tool for managing and mitigating the challenges he faced.
Keogh foraged in an abandoned orchard, Black Doris plums being the beginning of many foods she created over the following years, which she crafted recipes with that contained no refined sugars, additives, preservatives, colours, or other nasties.
Next, Keogh developed a variety of desserts and slices made available in cafes and whole food stores. Now, her Award Winning Dessert Bars are available in the grocery sector to reach an even larger audience.
Keogh is passionate about making ethical food mainstream and stated that using organic ingredients gives her confidence in using responsibly grown, ethically procured, and safely processed food with transparent traceability.
With the increase in consumer interest in plant-based and organic-certified products, Keogh emphasised that plant-based products could protect the planet by producing lower levels of greenhouse gases compared to animal agriculture. She added that consumers had been subjected to high levels of refined sugar, artificially flavoured foods with little to no nutritional value, particularly in the dessert sector.
However, Keough was heartened to see several New Zealand producers offering consumers accessible alternatives and food substitutes in the plant-based market.
"Recently at The Food Show, I was blown away by the diverse range of customers loving the Black Doris products, which highlighted that all ages and dietary requirements enjoy plant-based products."
Dessert Bar
Black Doris products are crafted from organic and New Zealand-grown ingredients, with plastic-free packaging of compostable wrap that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and recyclable boxes. Furthermore, Black Doris is a largely free-from product, meeting a range of dietary requirements while catering to the average consumer.
Keogh said that since starting Black Doris in 2017, she had been surrounded by wonderful people who have helped shape the business, with friends who are illustrators and writers to help design choices, a book-keeper around the corner from her, and marketing and business advisors accessible down the street, including a community of 'taste-testers'.
"Food is a genuinely magical industry to be involved in and one whereby people just want to help and see other New Zealand food producers flourish. Business is a force for good, whereby continual growth can lead to a more significant positive impact on the planet and its people, working towards sustainability and regeneration.
To become a certified B-corp business, Keogh explained that the environment was at the forefront of decision-making within the business. Working with EKOS has aided Black Doris in understanding its emissions profile and where reductions can be made with the most significant benefit to the environment and business operations.
Black Doris' Lemon Delicious and Salted Caramel were two products that were winners of People's Choice at The Food Show in April. While Keogh couldn't name her favourite, she said her children were fans of Salted Caramel, Peanut and Chocolate, and Raspberry and Hemp.
