Exotic Bazaar’s $2.35 million facility anchors New Zealand push

By Nathan Brooks

Exotic Bazaar will invest $2.35 million in a Ballarat manufacturing and fulfilment facility, CEO and founder Gilava Pour said. Earlier in the month, SmartCompany reported, the company secured grant support through the Victorian Investment Fund. The project is expected to create 18 roles progressively over the next three years as Exotic Bazaar brings manufacturing in-house for the first time.

According to SmartCompany, the Middle Eastern-inspired food brand began in 2019 as a small food venture. It offered consumers easy-to-make recipes and pre-blended flavours before landing on Coles’ shelves.

A measured route to New Zealand

Pour put New Zealand at the front of the company’s international expansion plans.

“New Zealand is our first priority for international expansion once our new manufacturing facility is established and operational.”

“It’s a natural first step for us, and we see it as an opportunity to establish our export capabilities before looking at further international markets.”

Pour said the immediate focus remains getting the Ballarat facility up and running and strengthening the company’s position in Australia. From there, she plans to pursue New Zealand distribution and build an international presence progressively. She said Exotic Bazaar will assess consumer demand, retail opportunities and each market’s needs before selecting the next country, keeping its expansion commercially sustainable.

What does in-house manufacturing change for Exotic Bazaar?

Pour called greater control over production one of the plan’s most exciting elements. Exotic Bazaar already keeps its main business operations and product development functions in Ballarat, SmartCompany reported. The brand currently uses several external providers for manufacturing and fulfilment.

Pour said the external-provider model initially supported growth. Coordinating across those suppliers became increasingly complex because the company had to work around production schedules, minimum order quantities and providers’ operational priorities.

Testing a new flavour, adjusting a recipe or responding to customer feedback could become lengthy and expensive, even when the required change was small. The in-house model should let Exotic Bazaar produce smaller batches, test and refine recipes, and bring new products to market faster from one operating base.

Pour also expects greater visibility over production costs, quality, inventory and delivery timelines. She said that visibility should let the company respond to opportunities instead of planning every change around another manufacturer’s schedule.

The Ballarat facility will include space for smaller production runs and product development. Pour said this dedicated area should improve development efficiency and create a more personal experience for customers.

Eighteen roles, built in stages

Pour said the 18 positions will be created progressively over the next three years as the facility becomes operational and the business expands. The planned roles cover production, distribution, technical controls and commercial functions:

• Production and packing staff
• Warehouse and dispatch roles
• Production supervision
• Quality and food safety
• Product development
• Sales, marketing, e-commerce and administration support

Pour said the jobs will help develop local skills and employment in regional Victoria as Exotic Bazaar grows.

Australia comes before further exports

Pour described Exotic Bazaar’s presence at Coles as an important milestone, but she sees it as the beginning of a much bigger opportunity. The company plans to strengthen its existing Coles presence and expand both its range and store footprint. It also wants to open conversations with other major retailers and grow distribution through independent supermarkets and speciality stores.

Pour’s longer-term ambition is availability in every suitable store across Australia. She said that would make Exotic Bazaar products easier for consumers to discover and enjoy wherever they shop.

For Exotic Bazaar’s retail and supply-chain partners, the near-term change is operational rather than geographic. The Ballarat facility must come online, the 18-role team must take shape and outsourced production must become faster and more visible before New Zealand distribution follows. If the company executes that sequence, New Zealand will become the first test of its in-house operating model before Exotic Bazaar takes on a wider international footprint.