How it all began
On the 8th of February 2018, I was sat at my desk finalising catering orders for my business, Rawmix, when I received a phone call from the Doctor. She said “the results of your mole biopsy have come back. I need you to come in and see me, and I would like you to bring someone with you”. I was 37 weeks pregnant and got told I had Melanoma.
For the next 5 weeks, I had an intense dichotomy of feelings. The thrill and joy of my first son being born in contrast with a cancer that I didn’t know the full extent of. I had surgery for the Melanoma the day after I got out of hospital with my son, Austin, and thankfully, there was no need for follow up treatment.
It was a wild ride that continued for the first 6 months as a new Mum. Feeding difficulties, unsettled baby, no sleep - the usual newborn suspects. But also, a disconnect that came from being distracted by the shock of the Melanoma. I was able to do the necessary things for Austin, the stuff you are taught to do, but I had nothing in the tank beyond that. I experienced post-natal depression and was a shell of what I knew myself to be.
Fast forward 6 months and I was blending veggie + fruit purees for Austin. I was excited for the solids stage, so my boobs could take a break. I tried many puree combinations and felt so much joy when Austin quivered with excitement at my creations. I put a lot of time into the food, so I thought, why don’t I try and do something more with these purees for me to enjoy too? And that was when the Bar None test kitchen was born.
I wanted to create something that was full of fresh plant-based nutrients, portable, filling, and delicious. I bulked out the purees with nuts and seeds. The taste was great, but the texture was awful. It was a wet lumpy mess. I tried baking and dehydrating, but the freshness wasn’t there. I noticed similarities between the bars I’d made and a cold pressed juice and came across revolutionary technology called High Pressure Processing (HPP). HPP is where the packaged food or drink product is submerged in cold water and pressurised. This kills off nasty bacteria while preserving all the nutrients, colour and texture of the product. It also means there is no need for preservatives, additives, or heat pasteurisation.
I made up a couple of samples in my home kitchen, and took them to a HPP specialist in Sydney. I was convinced HPP would allow me to create something that tasted fresh, juicy and unlike any other bar on the market. There was no how-to guide; no one had created a bar made from fresh produce before, so I had to figure it out. How do I combine fresh veggies & fruits into a bar without it going to mush? How do I do that with only recognisable ingredients? How do I get it to taste amazing and last long enough so that it has a chance in retail fridges? Can HPP facilitate this?
It has been 5 years of painstaking perseverance. The countless fails and compromises. The highs and lows. People often say to me “I would have given up by now!”. If the idea came to me in a different time of my life, I probably would have too. But this project gave me purpose and light after very dark days, so the least I can do is follow through to get it in fridges for you.