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[title]Though Troy Benjamin has worked in hospitality and events around town, spoken on radio, and charmed audiences as a sought-after MC for years, you’re most likely to recognise his face from TV.
Benjamin just won Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Australia, a competition reality show searching for the nation’s best food projects. His winning idea? Blak Brews: a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned tea company, blending native ingredients with premium tea.
“A lot of people come up to me,” Benjamin tells Time Out over the phone. “They say, ‘Oh, I don’t drink tea, I drink coffee’. But tea is incredible. It’s as wild as the wine world.”
He describes the feeling of discovering tea’s exciting potential as being “hit between the eyes”. But developing an affinity is one thing; starting a business is entirely another. What influenced Benjamin to take that giant step?
There’s a bit of a story to it, of course, and many moving parts: a chance encounter with a renowned tea specialist with 20 years of bush medicine knowledge under her belt. The support and start-up co-management with his wife Cerisa, whose passion for culture, health and natural ingredients originally inspired their shared entrepreneurship. And now, most recently, a $250,000 investment into Blak Brews and a year-long mentorship from Gordon Ramsay (the grand prize of Food Stars).
Benjamin is a Tati Tati, Wadi Wadi, Muti Muti and Wamba Wamba man who was raised in Djiilong (Geelong) on Wauthorong Country. He founded Blak Brews with his wife Cerisa, as a way to celebrate their shared heritage as proud Indigenous Australians (Cerisa is a Walpiri, Gurindji and Jawoyn woman).
Benjamin shares that their journey isn’t only about crafting tea using ethically sourced native ingredients, but also about cultivating connection and engaging conversations.
“I've always felt a strong connection to my community. Blak Brews reflects my passion for human connection – if we are successful in joining two people in conversation over a cuppa, then our job is done,” says Benjamin.
People loved Blak Brews from the very beginning. Not only was there a noticeable gap in the Australian premium tea market, but Benjamin and his wife's products tasted superb.
“People were knocking on our caravan,” Benjamin chuckles, recounting the time he brought Blak Brews to Freedom Day Festival in the Northern Territory. “Have you got some more of that tea?”
There's nothing overtly sophisticated about the tea blends, beyond the beauty and simplicity of the organic Indigenous ingredients. Benjamin reveals that it's the simplest teas that often elicit the biggest responses from his customers.
“They're always blown away and it’s the least complex thing we have – it’s lemon myrtle,” says Benjamin.
Perhaps one of the most inspiring things about the Blak Brews story is that it's about more than just appreciating our country's unique, native flavours; it's also about bridging a better connection to Aboriginal culture.
“Aboriginal culture isn’t the standard conversation starter in Australian society,” suggests Benjamin. “We haven’t been listened to in a long time.”
He recounts stories of going overseas and to airports, where people from other cultures don't even know what an Australian Aboriginal is. “I'll talk about things like the didgeridoo or Uluru, and it's a blank look.”
“But when I bring up 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi', they're like: 'Oh!'”
Benjamin says that while Australia hasn't exactly done a stellar job of appreciating and respecting Indigenous culture, things are getting better.
“Just because something has a dark side to its history, it doesn't mean the story shouldn't be told,” he says. “And we’re talking about the cool stuff.
“We’ve got more Indigenous entrepreneurs and channels than ever before. The feed's now changing. There's more success, more heroes, more inspiration. And it’s not just football anymore, it’s entrepreneurship, it’s politics. It’s a credit to Indigenous people we are still here.”
And as for the future? What lies beyond Blak Brews? Sharp, big-hearted and charismatic, Benjamin has a vision beyond his tea start-up.
“We want to make sure we’re not the only Indigenous family who sees opportunity,” he says. “We want to try and support Aboriginal communities to grow their own stuff on their own Country and benefit from it, so that they don't have to leave and go to the cities to create wealth.
“Aboriginal people have forever lived in a sustainable environment,” he shares. “They grow with the community, making sure everyone is fed.”
Benjamin shares that this conscious and sustainable approach is guiding how he wants to nurture Blak Brews and his other goals with Cerisa.
“We really want to make sure we’re looking after the people who drink our tea. We never want to lose touch.”
Blak Brews currently stocks eight teas, and you can find out more, discover stockists near you or make a purchase at the website. You can also follow Blak Brews on Instagram.