Snackwize, a new ‘first of its kind’ service founded by health & fitness marketing professional Conor Reynolds, is committed to delivering all natural sweet and savoury snacks to workplaces across Australia.

Since launching less than a year ago, Reynolds has already secured some big accounts, including lululemon athletica, Hutchinson Builders, Cromwell Property Group, Data3, Technology One and Canva.

Reynolds, who separately works in a full-time corporate role, delivers more than 5,000 snacks monthly to companies, yet believes the healthy snack delivery industry in Australia is still in its infancy compared to the USA, Canada and the UK.

Having observed first-hand poor eating habits and uneducated choices made by time-poor executives in his own offices, he saw a niche for a convenient healthy snack delivery service.

“Snackwise grew from an apparent opportunity to provide people in the workplace with nutritious snacks that they could grab between meetings to keep hunger pains at bay.

“Today, many corporates reach for the quickest thing to get them through their afternoon slump – most of the time this is something processed and high in sugar that leaves them feeling even more exhausted an hour later,” said Reynolds.

“I wanted to give people a choice when it came to snacking, and educate them on how to pick the right snacks that fit in with their lifestyle and health goals,” he said.

The business is completely self-funded, and Reynolds, who started it with just $2000, says his growth strategy is focused on expanding its customer base and helping more companies move towards providing healthy snacks for their employees.

“To date, I have personally cold called 250 companies, and have learnt a lot in the past year on what works and what doesn’t work when building a business.

“I know there are still plenty of learning curves ahead, but it’s amazing how much you can achieve in a short period, when you’re passionate about something.”

Snackwize offers a wide selection of snacks from the gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and vegan, to those that are non-genetically-modified with non-refined sugars.

Some of the delicious morsels include wholefood bars, kale chips, coconut chips, beef jerky, protein balls, cashews, trail mixes and more.

ENDS. Media enquiries to Deana Tynan on 0403 040 461 or deana@thepressgarage.com.au.

Greenhaus Coffee is the third in a sequence of businesses founded by humble Brisbane wholefoods duo, Alison and Brett Hutley, located on the corner of Doggett and Chester Street, just two doors down from their already popular Botanica.

While the couple is making magic again, this time they putting caffeine at the top of the menu partnering with Sydney coffee brand Allpress Espresso, with a tasty assortment of grab-and-go breakfast options for people on the run.

Like its older sibling, the café will be serving up predominantly takeaway items such as the much-loved breakfast ‘tartines’ and ‘parfait cups’ previously featured at Botanica, as well as new mini spinach + parmesan brioche toasties, spelt + raspberry scones and warm vanilla porridge.

Greenhaus Coffee’s convenient corner location also means Botanica fans will be able to grab a takeaway latte with their lunchtime salad box or afternoon cupcake.

During their past four years in business, Alison and Brett have put a lot of love and energy into becoming a brand that people know they can trust and rely on for quality and taste.

“Since opening Botanica in 2013, we have always been asked if we serve coffee, but we always had a firm stance that as long as we were neighbouring a coffee shop, we would not,” said Alison.

“When the café next door to us in Teneriffe relocated, it was impossible to find a reason not to launch Greenhaus Coffee and continue to provide coffee to the corner,” she said.

“Brett and I love coffee, and we both have a great enthusiasm for Brisbane’s burgeoning food scene, so it made sense to seize this opportunity and launch our very first coffee haunt,” she said.

While the pair acknowledges there is tremendous number of fabulous coffee shops in Brisbane, they believe there is an opportunity to offer a better assortment of breakfast options, ready to go.

“Nothing beats starting the day with a delicious coffee, so imagine pairing that with a savoury tartine topped with cashew cream, blistered tomatoes and basil, or, a bowl of warm vanilla porridge with honey and cinnamon, and you are truly set for a great day!”

Both Alison and Brett said the developments around Teneriffe and Newstead were having a positive impact on the area, and they couldn’t wait to see the corner of Doggett and Chester Street abuzz with people.

Greenhaus Coffee is ideal for time poor corporates, busy parents or generally anyone who needs a dose of coffee and a nutritious breakfast on the run.

Open 7 days a week from 6:30am to 4pm. Limited seating inside and outdoors on stools.

PROPOSED OPENING DATE, JUNE 1.

FOLLOW @GREENHAUSCOFFEE FOR ALL THE UPDATES AND SNEAK PEEKS.

Menu includes:

• Tartines (i.e. toasted sourdough with assorted sweet and savoury toppings)**
• Breakfast parfait cups (e.g. espresso and date brown rice porridge with coconut yoghurt)
• Mini brioche toasties (e.g. tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil)
• Raspberry and spelt scones
• Apple and cinnamon crumble loaf
• Warm vanilla porridge with honey and cinnamon

**no meat products will be used in any menu items.

Address:

Greenhaus Coffee, 29 Doggett St, Teneriffe

Travelshoot today announces an investment of $500,000 from these Queensland based investors to help scale its business and maximise global opportunities with its travel partners, including ­Flight Centre Travel Group, Helloworld and RACQ.

The business, which connects travellers with qualified local photographers around the world, has tripled its network of destinations in the last year and planned to continue this rapid expansion.

Mr Baxter’s interests aligned with this global growth strategy.

“We have a favourable view of the tourism space being one of Australia’s largest export markets and continues to grow,” said Mr Baxter.

“It is enviable to see two founders who have built the business to this point through their own personal funding, showing their adaptability and hustle to make things work even on tight budgets,” he said.

Co-founders and brother sister pair, Sarah Pearce and Tim Jones, said identifying and attracting the right investors was crucial to their approach.

“We didn’t use a scattergun approach – we looked for investors who would not just invest in us financially, but were also prepared to add strategic value and mentor us through potential key business challenges,” said Ms Pearce.

“Our technology, along with our customised and tailored approach to acquiring customers through strategic travel partner really solidified the investment,” she said.

Both Baxter and CEA’s CEO, Anna Rooke, considered the founding team to be critical to their decision to invest.

“For CEA, we felt that Travelshoot had all the essentials on why we invest; a compelling value proposition, a clearly defined global customer market, strong evidence of customer traction, a clear execution plan and, above all else co-founders who have the flexibility and resilience to navigate the business to scale,” said Ms Rooke.

Baxter and CEA will add value beyond cash by offering the co-founders strategic guidance, knowledge of new markets, sharing networks and providing mentorship to help overcome the inevitable hurdles involved in a startup journey.

ENDS: Media enquiries to Deana Tynan on deana@thepressgarage.com.au or 0403 040 461

For more information, please visit www.travelshoot.com.

This month, the Australian bike retailer is getting behind the handlebars to provide two-wheeled support and is calling on fellow Aussies to pitch in for their chance to score a holiday.

99 Bikes’ Founder and Managing Director, Matt Turner, said the company had fine tuned its social purpose for 2017 and, in doing so, wanted to establish a way for riding enthusiasts to feel connected to a bigger cause.

“As a company, we are very passionate about helping Qhubeka and it’s programs – mainly through donations from our individual employees. This year, we thought we’d ask the Australian cycling community to join the cause,” he said.

In return for a small monetary donation to Qhubeka, 99 Bikes is giving two people the chance to win an African adventure in South Africa’s Western Cape, where they can combine safari tours and wine tasting with hands-on volunteering.

Travellers will learn first hand how bicycles are improving communities, the environment and quality of life by visiting townships benefiting from Qhubeka’s bike programs.

They will also participate in a bike distribution ceremony, visit a bike assembly facility and join lessons at a local school.

The prize includes return flights from Australia to Cape Town for two travellers and six nights luxury accommodation in Cape Town, as well as touring through game reserves and famous wine regions.

Matt says bikes are the backbone of life in many third world economics, providing much more than just recreation.

“Bikes are the most effective and economical method of allowing people to travel further, carry more and get there faster,” Matt said.

“They are a means of transport to places of employment and education, and provide immediate access to food, water, medicine and shelter,” he said.

TO ENTER, DONATE ANY AMOUNT THROUGH THE LINK BELOW, AND TELL US WHY YOU’D LOVE TO GO TO SOUTH AFRICA WITH QHUBEKA. 

A WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BASED ON THE BEST ANSWER.

ENTRIES CLOSE 28 FEBRUARY 2017.

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

https://www.donate.99bikes.com.au

Nestled on the leafy Merthyr Road strip, Allium is set to deliver a progressive modern Australian menu from an open kitchen in a relaxed and approachable way.

Allium is the brainchild of husband and wife duo James and Kylie Gallagher, following a career-long dream to create a place where people could feel comfortable and always welcome, even for a mid-week meal.

James, who trained at the same culinary college as Jamie Oliver and worked in some of London’s most acclaimed restaurants, has been a chef for more than 10 years.

Previously, a sous chef at Brisbane’s Alchemy and head chef at Prive 249 at Sofitel Brisbane Central, he is well acquainted with what goes on behind-the-scenes and has never felt more ready to tackle his own venue.

At Allium, James said the focus is on showcasing the best produce and tailoring the menu on a regular basis to meet the preferences of their guests.

“My style of food is modern, but not polarising. I don’t want people to have to think too hard about my dishes or feel challenged,” said James.

“The dishes will still be technical, but I want people to be able to relate and find comfort in our food,” he said.

The team’s aim is to deliver high-end cuisine at an appealing price point, with familiar yet inventive dishes.

Examples include the lightly cured kingfish paired with the refreshing flavours of compressed cucumber and buttermilk, finished with a green apple sorbet.

Or, the marbled wagyu skirt with caramelised onion petals, miso eggplant puree and black garlic.

Dessert will impress too, with a zesty take on the classic lemon meringue tart, featuring a soft set curd, mascarpone ice cream, brown butter crumb, fennel meringue and granita.

Kylie, who will manage operations at Allium, said decor at the suburban restaurant would be minimalist and contemporary, with a simple black and white colour palette, clean lines and feature lighting.

“We want to break the perception that a fine dining experience is reserved for special occasions,” said Kylie.

“Everyone has a ‘go-to’ restaurant, where the food is consistently great – it’s familiar, it’s comfortable – the place you recommend it to friends without a second thought because the service is friendly, attentive and the staff remember your name,” she said.

“We hope Allium can be that ‘go-to’ for Brisbane locals.”

Allium will offer a constantly evolving a-la-carte dinner menu, as well as a tasting menu, from Wednesday to Sunday and will serve classic brunch favourites on Saturday and Sunday.

Nowadays, press releases are distributed to websites and via email, as opposed to postal, fax or courier delivery. And, the profession is universally recognised, with new buzzwords developed daily, from ‘influencer’ to ‘optimised’

Our director Deana Tynan provides a snapshot below on what’s happening to PR in 2016.

We’re All In This Together – PR + Social + Marketing

PR professionals use social media actively in order to achieve their goals. While, marketing objectives have also become key KPIs for PR and Social Media specialists.

This is primarily because more companies now understand the importance of measurement and metrics and are judged on what they deliver.

Now is a good time to stop treating the different disciplines as separate. They are all interconnected.

This extends to distribution of your news and content, and of course – measurement of results.

The ‘Stand Out’ Press Release – New Media

There’s no denying that the days of a blast email to a chunky media database are well and truly gone.

Modern press releases are taking a new shape, reflecting the ever-changing use of existing and new media.

It’s no surprise that people don’t like to read long paragraphs, and are usually short on time. Visuals make an impact. Sharp photography, powerful videos and clever infographics help people to understand immediately what the story is.

Multimedia is no longer an option – it’s a must-have. Coupled with a short, succinct email pitch and you’re on your way.

The other part of PR is, of course, people skills. Yet, the new reliance on data and analytics forces us to take a closer look at what our siblings in social media and marketing are doing.

2016 has seen the emergence of technology skills become just as important as people skills, if not more so.

Everyone Can Share News – PR at Any Level  

One tweet can literally change the future of a company and it doesn’t take the CEO to do it.

Today, we are all influencers, in one way or another. Whether we share an announcement via email, post it to our followers on social media or mention it to a friend in passing.

Thanks to the Internet, we are all interconnected and everyone can disseminate information. No longer is this in the hands of a single specialist or traditional news outlet, which means it’s more important than ever for your people to tell the same story.

Engaging employees and teams in PR is beneficial for any organisation. In fact, there are already start-ups who focus specifically on doing just that.

For a second year in a row, the AKA Togninis Creative Director and founder of lil off the top, continues to cement his position in the industry as the smile throwing, trend setting, hair cutting lad.

Jules said winning the Educator of the Year award was incredible, especially after re-launching the lil off the top agency with other industry heavyweights.

“We have so many unbelievable hairdressers out there, so it feels incredible to be recognised in the industry for doing what I love,” he said.

“It is great to see all my hard work starting to pay off, but look, I wouldn’t be here today without the support from the industry and my family.”

Jules said being nominated for the awards and winning Educator of the Year reinforced where his focus was – mens grooming.

He said the mens grooming industry was a lot bigger and better than most people thought, and he looks forward to seeing where it goes from here.

lil off the top agency is a must-do master class for non-masters and is all about tailor made education for hairdressers and their salon teams.

The agency is providing a smorgasbord of techniques from cuts, colours and style demonstrated on live models and mannequins, as well as providing tips on business and photo shoots.

To find out more, head to liloffthetop.com and book an educator today.

Congrats Jules.

ENDS. Media enquires to Olivia King on 0408 157 253 or email olivia@thepressgarage.com.au, on behalf of Togninis.

Check out Liv’s top 5 tips from what she has learnt:

 When you’ve got great hair, no one cares about your face

This phrase has stuck with me, since the first time I met Jules Tognini – Australian’s Men’s Hairdresser of the Year. Your hair is one of the first things people notice about you, so make sure it’s good.

Often I am awestruck when I meet someone with amazing luscious locks. It’s very easy to take notice of their hair, and skip past anything else.

Don’t sleep with your hair up

I have accepted that I am a hair up wearing person. Most people have never seen me with my hair down, but rather in a high bun on the top of my head (easy, simple and my hair is off my face). However, there comes a point when I need to let my locks down and it’s when I am asleep.

Wearing your hair up when you go to sleep causes breakage and strangles your ends, so be kind and let it down.

Product, product, product

I used to be a supermarket product purchaser, but have learnt that the silky feeling after washing your hair isn’t a good.

The hair gurus at Togninis taught me that these cheap ‘n’ nasty products have fillers, detergents and silicon in them, which aren’t good for your hair. Spend the extra money and invest in good products!

From styling powder to dry shampoo and hot tool shaper, products are your best friends….helping to comb out the knots, create some volume and perfect your curls.

Togninis hooked me up with a truckload of evo (Aussie haircare brand) products and I have never looked back.

Don’t wash your hair after every workout

Did you ever think you could wash your hair too much? Well, listen up people, you can!

After a workout, your hair isn’t necessarily dirty, but rather just looks greasy from your sweat. There is no need to wash your hair. Just use a little bit of dry shampoo to hide that oily look and wash your hair after the next workout.

Talk to your hairdresser about what you want

Easiest way to determine what you want out of a hair appointment is to take a photo of what you want. You may think it looks silly pulling out your phone or magazine cut outs but showing the colour and style you want means there is no confusion.

Realistically, we all know that having a good hairdresser means equally great hair, so find the one that suits your style and make them your wingman.