“I remember thinking we should retail these sauces, they are so popular,” Samantha says. “We got the first few samples done in-house and I took them out to a few supermarkets to try. I didn’t have one rejection.”
In fact, retailers were so impressed they wanted the other products that have made Peko Peko a drawcard, first in Doubleview and then Dunsborough, for more than two decades: the fresh sushi, rice paper rolls and dressings.
After a few ups and downs, what was once only available over the counter can now be found at 15 retailers, with more on the waiting list for when production capacity increases.
Growing pains
The demand for Peko Peko products was also clear at the couple’s first foray to Meet the Buyer™, the annual Western Australian trade show bringing suppliers and buyers together under one roof.
The overwhelming response to their stall, however, presented another problem – there was no way their current production could keep pace with the appetite for their produce.
“We didn’t want to step in and say ‘yes, we can supply’ when we couldn’t, taking on all these customers and then letting them down,” Samantha says. Rather than overcommit, the couple reset and took a closer look at what they could do.
“We started to go into larger manufacturing volumes, so we’re doing 5L and 10L drums for particular customers of dressings,” Samantha says. “We want to continue in supermarkets because they are popular, but foodservice was one of the areas we want to get into because, honestly, when I go out and taste what people are making, I think it would be so much better with a Peko Peko dressing.”
Not every experiment has worked; they invested a lot of time and money exploring opportunities with a manufacturer that was a disaster for both parties. Rather than dwell on setbacks, however, the Bottegals took them as lessons learned and moved on.
“We need to get larger premises for ourselves but that takes time, so we’ve teamed up with a manufacturer in Perth who only deals with gluten-free products, which is perfect for us, as all our sauces are gluten free,” Samantha says.
They will produce Peko Peko’s bottled dressings for supermarkets, as well as foodservice drums, and 30ml and 60ml pouches for takeaway customers. The relationship also opens the door for more products to be made offsite for the wholesale division, freeing the Bottegals up to focus on fresh food in store.
This structured approach has been learned the hard way. While an asbestos issue forced the closure of their Attadale store, Samantha says with the benefit of hindsight that the expansion south of the river was too rushed. “We know now to do everything step by step,” she says.
This includes expanding the back office from a single bookkeeper to a small team supporting data input and accounts. “This (manufacturing) is like a whole other business and if we don’t have people supporting the system, there’s no use going to the next level.”
Ready for round two
The team will bring that approach back to Meet the Buyer™ in October, with a few new sauces to add to the tasting mix.
“Last year I felt because we had only just started, we couldn’t speak to people with confidence,” Samantha says. “But we could see the possibilities out there for us – we just needed to find another way of doing things. Now we have the production capability to produce more, we can say ‘yeah, we can do that; when do you want to start’?”
While there is plenty of scope in foodservice with the larger tubs, the Bottegals also see opportunities with the small sachets. “These are perfect for our customers who want to take them home but would also work well for airlines or others that need smaller products,” Samantha says.
They plan to keep the stall simple to give the team more room for conversations with buyers, such as restaurants and foodservice, and fellow producers.
Peko Peko has already seen the rewards that can come with collaboration. Food stylist and recipe developer Kate Flower helped create their supermarket labelling and packaging and has gone on to build recipes showcasing their dressings.
“On her Instagram, she has Amelia Park lamb with Peko Peko dressing and all these sauces she’s made with our dressing,” Samantha says. “Our product lends itself to so many things – it has really opened my eyes to what we have.”
It’s also exactly the kind of connections that Meet the Buyer™ is designed to spark, some that may take time to bring to fruition. “You’ve got to go back again and again,” Samantha says. “Every year we’ve got new products or we’re expanding, and those people who saw us last year can see us again with a few extra things, or things we can do differently.”
Samantha is also inspired by all the other exhibitors. “It’s really eye-opening to see all these businesses, and learn from their displays,” she says. “We’re going to step into the networking a bit more this year.”
Meet the Buyer™ is at Crown Perth on Tuesday 20 October. The exhibition floor has sold out, but buyers can still book tickets to the trade show.
Note: Meet the Buyer™ is a trade and industry event only but you can support local by supporting the businesses mentioned and looking out for local produce wherever you shop.