Ikuna Taste, Making Healthy Treats Accessible To Everyone.
Ikuna taste is more than just a business but a family with a passion to provide treats that are nourishing to our bodies and environment.
Run by Tongan Entrepreneur Pauline Fotu-Moala, Ikuna Taste offers carefully made products that is raw, organic, and natural. Their costumers rave on about their products such as cheesecakes, cookies and brownies. The icing on the cake of these delicious treats is that they’re plant based and keto friendly.
The name of the business comes from the friendly islands of Tonga. In translation “Ikuna” simply means to “Conquer”. The word is often used by Tongan’s to describe a victorious moment of overcoming a significant hurdle life.
“IKUNA is never used lightly however is often expressed with humility and gratitude towards goals and aspirations endured”, says the team at the Auckland based business.
Its proud owner Pauline started her business after finding a gap in the market for raw, organic, healthy and tasty treats in her home of South Auckland.
Before starting her business Pauline lived in Australia where she started her health journey with an aim to fuel her body with nutritious ingredients that made her feel good and allowed her to reach set goals. In Australia she felt lucky to have access to healthy options throughout the city. When moving back to South Auckland she discovered that in order for her to get a healthy treat she would have to travel in to the city and pay at an expensive price.
The frustration of not being able to find healthy and affordable options in her neighbourhood led Pauline to making her own treats. Eventually opening Ikuna Taste so that more people could have access to foods that treated their taste buds, bodies and budgets.
Recently Pauline's business was given a boost by Countdown Supermarkets 'Kete' accelerator programme which helps minority-owned small businsses accelerate their journey with a programme fast tracking their products onto its shelves.
Launched in 2021 it has a specific focus on empowering businss owned by Maori, Pasifika, youth, women LGBTQI+ and people with disabilities. Among them was Ikuna Taste.
The support from 'Kete' proved a complete game changer, as Fotu-Moala quickly found a manufacturer, tested a formulation, and improved packaging.
"We did the groundwork of bringing the baking mix to life during the first year. From there, it was all about getting to the shelf," she revealed in an interview with Stuff
Intent on spreading the message of empowerment, Fotu-Moala plans on talking to her high school about programmes like Kete. "There's a lot of excitement," she adds. "Not only in my family, but the community. I think we might be the first Polynesian brand to be in the supermarkets at this scale."
Read more about the Kete accelerator program and Pauline's full interview with Stuff here
Pauline is an advocate for anyone looking to start their health journey and believes where you live shouldn’t prohibit you from accessing health treats that coincide with your meal plans.
The Tongan entrepreneur adds, “My advice for people looking to start a health journey is to visit a health professional. It is important that we consult professionals about our health goals so they can safely inform us what the best steps to take are and what our bodies need most”.
In the meantime check out Pauline's plant base tropical otai in the link below -
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Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ on Air