BENDIGO BRITTLE

A desire for a change in pace and a life-long love of her grandmother’s cooking led burnt-out Melbourne PR executive Greta Donaldson to a new life, and a new business, in Bendigo.

After 20 years in the corporate world working with high-profile clients across media, entertainment, hospitality and lifestyle brands, Greta returned to her regional Victorian hometown in 2015, to be closer to her family.

She was inspired to establish the business after whipping up a batch of peanut brittle for a family Christmas using a recipe created by her late grandmother, Norma Roulston, from Toolleen near Elmore. The brittle was a huge hit.

“I come from a long line of great cooks, but they would all be laughing in their graves at my success,” Greta says. “I burn toast! I was never kitchen bound, although I do like cooking. I’m certainly not a creative cook like the rest of the women in my family.”

 This began to change as Greta tinkered with her grandmother’s recipe to create a finer, more brittle sweet and salty treat. As its popularity grew among friends and family, she began to consider options for sale.

Bendigo Brittle was born.

Bendigo Brittle has now established a strong following as Greta, and a small team of employees, offer her sweet treats from a distinctive cart at creative, artisan and farmers’ markets around the Bendigo and central Victorian region.

To meet growing demand and improve access for employees, Greta recently relocated the business to a custom-designed commercial kitchen, but it remains a family enterprise with Greta cooking and packaging the brittle alongside her mother, Shirley Donaldson and niece Mikala McNeill.

From its initial offering of a 200g Peanut Brittle pack, Bendigo Brittle has also expanded its range. It now offers a 100g Peanut Brittle pack, a 400g Peanut Brittle pack, a 1kg Peanut Brittle pack, a 100g Macadamia Brittle (luxury) pack, a 100g Cashew Brittle (luxury) pack, a 100g Almond Brittle (luxury) pack, a 100g and a 200g Vegan Peanut Brittle pack and their recently launched 50g bonbonniere packs (for wedding favours).

Throughout the process, Greta has been determined to build and maintain a high-quality brand, sourcing the best local ingredients and supporting local business wherever possible.

“In a time of great global upheaval, I am delighted that Bendigo Brittle is one small thing that is and can become a constant – a small moment of pleasure in people’s daily lives (especially in Cohuna… where I was born)! That in itself makes everything worthwhile.”

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Phone: 0427 658 638
Email: hello@bendigobrittle.com.au