Terrific Tezzi

By Jane Rocca

Wiradjuri woman Terri-Anne Daniel has taken her gluten-free brand from home-kitchen experiment to entrepreneurial success story in five years, adding a Qantas menu item on domestic and international flights to the list of achievements.

As founder of Cooee Native Superfoods, in 2020, while raising six-year-old triplets and a seven-year-old as a single mum [she has eight kids all up now, yes eight!], Daniel began testing recipes at home to address lactose allergies among family members.

Affectionately known as Tezzi, she received a $25,000 Indigenous grant from Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation, and further funding grants from First Australians Capital, to keep the business going, while Ochre Ventures joined as investors in November last year.

“This all began because I was looking to create something that tasted nice and was safe on the table,” says Terri-Anne Daniel of her lucrative business idea.

“It all came from a simple idea to create a delicious treat I couldn’t find anywhere else,” she says.

Through research, Daniel found Australia has the highest population of food allergies in the world, with one in 10 children developing an allergy before they turn even 12 months old.

“I began by making cakes and muffins, and then progressed to cookies to find recipes that addressed all those allergen profiles. They were a hit,” says Daniel.

Hers is a fabulous First Nations founder success story and, now, Daniel has added a pet range called Bunji which is also going from strength to strength.

“I’ve always been a bit of an entrepreneur, and it was through the Minderoo Foundation’s Entrepreneur Program where I got to meet people and grow as a person which in turn allowed the business to grow too,” says Daniel who lives in Lake Macquarie in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, where the company headquarters are.

“I met my partner Steve five years ago, and he also invested in the business which really helped when I was running out of money,” she says.

But it was Ochre Ventures’ investment in July 2025 which allowed the small business to employ a senior leadership team and think big.

You’ll find Nan’s Jam Drops and Plum Cookies on Qantas in-flight snacks which are an ode to Daniel’s grandmother.

“I grew up cooking alongside my grandmother who used to make jam drops — a favourite treat during Christmas and school holidays. She loved to bake, and every cake in town was made by her, whether it was for a christening or wedding; my Nan was the one who was making them,” says Daniel.

The product range showcases native ingredients including wattle seed and Kakadu plum.

“Kakadu plum holds the highest percentage of vitamin C of any fruit in the world and is grown in Southern Victoria and South Australia,” says Daniel.

“It has four and a half times the antioxidants of a blueberry — powerhouses of nutrients and antioxidants we’re really proud to include in our range,” she says.

“To be an Indigenous brand that can have a real impact on our country is a win for all of us. If we can help Indigenous communities where these natives grow in a meaningful and sustainable way, then we can drive the native food movement in Australia in ways we could never have imagined,” says Daniel who has also bought the Creative Native business to help roll out Indigenous ingredients in various products from snacks to booze brands.