Jindera-based Lupins For Life was born out of Brocklesby farmer Gary Drew’s belief that lupins were more than a rotation crop to enrich soil or a stock food. 

A few years ago while preparing lupins for stock he caught a whiff of the sweet kernels “I thought, ‘why aren’t we eating this?’”, he said.

“I don’t understand why we haven’t got onto it as a food. It doesn’t matter which way you look at lupins, it’s better for you."

Gary and his wife Heather founded Lupins For Life in 2016 to develop the idea and produce lupin products. 

His sister Chris Johnston moved back to the region from Melbourne to become business operations manager and their brother Roger joined the family business as manager director.

The range includes lupin flour, semolina, crumb, kibble and the new protein flakes, which were officially released this week.

“There’s been so much done over the evolution,” Mrs Johnston said.

After years of research and development – plenty of it trial and error – the family made their game-changing breakthrough.

The first “flakes” were steamed and rolled through a stockfeed mill but contained the thick, hard and Teflon-like hull. 

“Working out how to get the hull off and retain the lupin was our first biggest step,” Roger Drew said.

“How we do that is the key.”

Gary Drew said lupin products could be added to any dishes to increase protein and fibre intake, and the flake was an ideal breakfast addition.

“It looks like a corn flake but, in saying that, it’s 43 per cent protein and 30 per cent fibre,” he said. 

Lupins For Life have been on the market since July, available online and at some retail outlets but a big part of the business was the wholesale market.

“The lupin products take on the flavour of what you’re cooking they don’t encroach, they enhance it,” Mrs Johnston said.