Maria River Distillery - From the Shaker

MARIA RIVER DISTILLERY

Summer ARVO

INGREDIENTS

2 shots Ginello and ice Fresh mint Soda water Tonic water

METHOD

In a tall glass, pour two shots of Ginello over ice, add a sprig of fresh mint and top with half soda and half tonic.

GINELLO

Enjoy Australia’s first blend of Botanical Gin and limoncello … Ginello is exclusive to Maria River Distillery and one of our fan favourites. We have taken our Australian Botanical Gin and blended it with our famous limoncello to create a truly delightful and refreshing spirit. 700 ml Bottle size. 40% Alc/Vol

Kenny Little IN SEASON AND SUPPLY

The cost of living pressures are definitely the talk of the town. Prices are through the roof on some of our beloved fresh greens. Ken is aware times are tough and we want to assure the town that we are here for you. So this month we are making all home deliveries within the Port Macquarie region FREE! Just a little thank you from our family to yours. Place your order the day before and you will arrive home with your goods on your doorstep. Look out for our local juicy navel oranges that are super sweet and don’t forget the marvellous mushroom that completes all the winter dishes. Always remember to shop local and support our farmers. Ken.

Steven and Karen Prahin are passionate about mental, physical and spiritual health and started Eden Healthfoods very organically with a clear ethos of creating products that would help their customers improve their overall health by always using the best possible ingredients and never sacrificing quality.

Health EDEN Foods

How did the idea for Eden Healthfoods first come about?

Originally, we did not want to start a health food company. We were passionate about mental, physical and spiritual health. We wanted to start a health retreat, then a clinic, then run programs in people’s homes. After trying all these things and developing specialised products and programs along the way, most of the people that caught our vision and saw the value in what we were doing already ran health retreats, health food stores and clinics. They wanted to stock our products and get trained in using them.

Can you tell us a bit about Eden Healthfoods and the products you make?

What we do at Eden Healthfoods is very different to the industry standard. We try to bring out the highest quality health products possible. This goes beyond organics and involves identifying herbs and superfoods that are wild crafted, grown in the right environment, picked at the right time, dried at the right temperature, treated in the least invasive ways so that the end user will get maximum effectiveness and create powerful health as a result.

What were the early days like in getting it all up and running?

In the 90s, after studying natural healing and herbs, we came to realise that most of the health products on the market didn’t work, didn’t get you well and could not be trusted because, just like most businesses, they were made on the premise of profits first rather than purity and potency. We started to develop our own products just for ourselves. As friends found out what we were doing and saw the difference in our products versus what was on the Australian market, they asked to purchase from us. We decided to take the leap and invest in some packaging to take our products to the different markets in Sydney. Our products were so well received we even decided to try out health expos around Australia. We slowly began to grow from exhibiting at different expos and markets. The early days were definitely tough as we did not have any venture capital to begin with but we believed in what we were doing and Karen gave up a career in Medical Imaging. Steven also gave up a career in the Health industry.

You’re based in King Creek and have been based locally for over 10 years, but your products are now stocked all over the country. What has it been like managing a growing business from a regional area like this?

It may make more sense to run a business like ours from a capital city like Sydney, but we chose the lifestyle that the Mid North Coast has to offer over the convenience of city life. We came here with a newborn baby with the vision to give him a better standard of life. We now have four children and find Port Macquarie and surrounds to be the best place that a child can grow up in, having the best of both wild bush and pristine beaches.

Our business has been able to thrive in this region due to the support of local health food stores. We now supply about 1,000 health food stores Australia-wide so the regional location has not been a challenge except for the additional cost in transportation. We are still handy to some capital cities when we need to travel there to train up naturopaths or speak at different events.

How have things changed in the time you’ve been running?

There is no use in being the world’s best kept secret. In the beginning, we thought that if we just brought out the best possible products, everyone would just find out about them. It doesn’t work that way. We have learned you can have the best product in the world, but if you have no marketing, your product will only go so far. It is 99% marketing and perception. If people perceive your product is good, it doesn’t even matter if your product is good, it will sell.

The good thing is our products not only look attractive, they are the best thing for you. Being trustworthy and having ethics has been important to us from the beginning, but these days, a nice website and having a strong social media presence has become paramount.

What response do you often get about your products? What do you think has contributed to them becoming so popular?

A common response we get goes something like this, “I have tried every (insert product name here) on the market and yours is the only one that has ever worked.” When you take an Eden Healthfoods product, it is like eating a home cooked meal that your mother has been preparing all day long. Our products are made with love, care and attention to detail. There is

Our products are a noticeable difference when you purchase one of our products, open the lid and take a look made with love, inside, smell and then taste the difference. It’s an care and attention to experience. Like all good chefs will say, a good detail. There is a meal always starts with good quality ingredients. noticeable difference What do you enjoy about what you do? when you purchase one We enjoy being able to blend our work and of our products, open lifestyle. Being able to be home with the kids the lid and take a look as much as possible and really enjoy the natural inside, smell and then beauty that this amazing region has to offer. taste the difference. We also enjoy being able to say exactly what goes into the products we make, not having to be governed by price or other limiting factors. Instead of following a pattern or a road that is well travelled, we choose to blaze a new path for ourselves and create products that are truly unique.

Where would you like to see Eden Healthfoods heading into the future?

We are truly humbled and thank God for every sale we make. We have a large demand for our products from many other countries around the world. There is no reason why Eden Healthfoods should stop growing. We don’t know what the future holds, but one thing we do know is we will continue to focus on our company ethos to create the best quality health products possible and to help create powerful health in all our customers.

GREATER PORT MACQUARIE

AUGUST 2022

GOODY 2 SHOES

LEIGH I’ANSON TANISHA PALMER

EVERY TUESDAY

6.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Open Mic

THURSDAY, 4

6.30pm Club North Haven Gary King

FRIDAY, 5

5.00pm Black Duck Brewery Liam McAlary 5.00pm Wicked Elf Brewery Dusty Soul 5.30pm Chop n Chill Andrew Cousins 6.00pm Club Lake Cathie Stevie B 6.30pm Port Macquarie Golf Club Damon

Winter

7.00pm Wave Bowl EBD 7.30pm Port City Bowling Club Electro

Unplugged

8.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Subvertigo 8.30pm Finnians Irish Tavern Leigh I’Anson

SATURDAY, 6

11.00am Douglas Vale Vineyard Damon Winter 12.30pm Chop n Chill Mystery Guests 2.00pm Brew Haven Ian Papworth 4.00pm Wicked Elf Brewery Tommy Castles &

Carl Dickens

6.30pm Comboyne Services Club Nikki Rudge 6.30pm Wave Bowl Natalie Davis & Lo

Monaco

7.00pm Bago Tavern Gary King 7.30pm Hastings Hotel Subvertigo 7.30pm Port City Bowling Club Dan Hopkins

and the Generous Few

8.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Super Cell 8.00pm Laurieton Hotel Can’t Adult Today

SUNDAY, 7

1.00pm Moo & Bean Finn Hoy 1.30pm Wauchope Country Club Nikki Rudge 12.30pm Chop n Chill Simon Gudgeon 2.00pm Laurieton Hotel Goody 2 Shoes 4.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Graham Howle

THURSDAY, 11

6.30pm Club North Haven Cheryl Hall & The

Wisemen

6.30pm Wave Bowl Open Mic Night

FRIDAY, 12

5.00pm Black Duck Brewery Mat Brooker 5.00pm Wicked Elf Brewery Kyle Moore 5.30pm Chop n Chill Mystery Guests 6.00pm Club Lake Cathie Rockabillys 6.30pm Port Macquarie GC Andy Blackmore 7.00pm Wave Bowl Pure Acoustic 7.30pm Port City Bowling Club Leigh I’Anson 8.30pm Finnians Irish Tavern Jonesy

SATURDAY, 13

9.00am Foreshore Markets Busking Stage 11.00am Douglas Vale Vineyard Damon

Winter

12.30pm Chop n Chill Jackson James 2.00pm Brew Haven Mat Brooker 4.00pm Wicked Elf Brewery Jess Higgins 7.00pm Bago Tavern Graham Howle 7.00pm Wave Bowl Sinead Burgess 7.30pm Beechwood Hotel Finn Hoy 7.30pm Hastings Hotel Live Music 7.30pm Port City Bowling Club Simon

Gudgeon

8.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Leigh I’Anson 8.00pm Laurieton Hotel The Barflys 8.30pm Finnians Irish Tavern Smooth Moves

DUSTY SOUL PURE ACOUSTIC

DAN HOPKINS

SUNDAY, 14

1.00pm Moo & Bean Jasmine O’Brien 1.30pm Wauchope Country Club Pure

Acoustic

12.30pm Chop n Chill Goody 2 Shoes 2.00pm Laurieton Hotel Nikki Rudge 4.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Blu

THURSDAY, 18

6.30pm Club North Haven Reggie Sinclair

FRIDAY, 19

5.00pm Black Duck Brewery Leigh I'Anson 5.00pm Wicked Elf Brewery Alex McLeod 5.30pm Chop n Chill Mat Brooker 6.00pm Club Lake Cathie Shane Peters 6.30pm Port Macquarie GC Brody Ireland 7.00pm Wave Bowl Monster Boys 7.30pm Port City Bowling Club Pure Acoustic 8.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Live Music 8.30pm Finnians Irish Tavern Bill Roberts

SATURDAY, 20

11.00am Douglas Vale Vineyard Damon

Winter

12.30pm Chop n Chill Andrew Best 2.00pm Brew Haven Afro Moses 4.00pm Wicked Elf Brewery Brock Colley 7.00pm Bago Tavern Gotcha Covered 7.30pm Hastings Hotel Live Music 7.30pm Port City BC The Coppertones 8.00pm Laurieton Hotel Trev Hart

SUNDAY, 21

1.00pm Moo & Bean Andrew Best 1.30pm Wauchope Country Club Live Music 12.30pm Chop n Chill Craig Stewart 2.00pm Laurieton Hotel Leigh I’Anson 4.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Brody Ireland

THURSDAY, 25

6.30pm Club North Haven Leigh I’Anson

FRIDAY, 26

5.00pm Black Duck Brewery Live Music 5.00pm Wicked Elf Brewery Leigh I'Anson 5.30pm Chop n Chill Mat Brooker 6.00pm Club Lake Cathie Gary King 6.30pm Port Macquarie GC Simon Gudgeon 7.00pm Wave Bowl Finn Hoy 7.30pm Port City BC Ryan Sampson 8.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Mr Stitches

SATURDAY, 27

11.00am Douglas Vale Vineyard Damon

Winter

12.30pm Chop n Chill Brody Ireland 2.00pm Brew Haven Beau Bennett 4.00pm Wicked Elf Brewery Chery Hall 7.00pm Bago Tavern Lockout 7.00pm Fernhill Hotel Mr Stitches 7.00pm Wave Bowl Live Music 7.30pm Hastings Hotel Nikki Rudge 7.30pm Port City Bowling Club Acoustic Kick 8.00pm Laurieton Hotel Funhouse 8.30pm Finnians Irish Tavern Chris Rose Band

SUNDAY, 28

12.30pm Chop n Chill Mystery Guests 1.00pm Moo & Bean Autumn Blue 1.30pm Wauchope Country Club Pure

Acoustic

2.00pm Laurieton Hotel Al McLeod 4.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel Subvertigo