PRIMARY school teacher Jacquie O'Donoghue took leave last year to find her feet in the food industry.
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Passionate about supplying nutritious, ready-made meals and catering, Jacquie found strong demand in Albury-Wodonga.
Within six months Jacquie had made 10,000 meals before chef Lindy Adams joined her to round out the year with 25,000 meals.
"Initially we did mainly meals for gyms - calorie-controlled and made from scratch - but since May 2018 we had other catering events and it's taken off from there," Jacquie said.
Jacquie opened Meraki Produce in Dean Street in late January.
She said she had been filing away ideas under "Meraki" - which meant doing something with soul, creativity or love - for three years.
"I had started school kitchen gardens but I knew I really wanted to cook," she said.
Meraki Produce offers about 30 wholesome dishes - think Tuna Bake with Hidden Veg, Healthier Lasagne and School Snack Packs (bliss balls/homemade LCM Bars).
Pastry chefs Heidi Collins and Dimity Ruaro are also part of the team.
MORE HOMEGROWN CHEFS:
What's your favourite dish?
Pho. We'll be offering it soon using our homemade bone broth.
What's your favourite season?
Autumn
What are your pantry staples?
Fresh herbs, spices particularly cumin and turmeric, fresh fruit and vegetables.
What is your earliest cooking memory?
I would come home from sport and my mum would be cooking; I'd be tasting it all and want to know everything she'd done. Mum made everything from scratch.
Which ingredients do you grow yourself?
My partner's parents have a farm at Brocklesby; they grow vegetables, herbs, eggs.
Which six people would you invite to dinner?
Patrick Rafter, J.K. Rowling, Russell Brand, Jamie Oliver, Janine Allis and my sister, Carlie Fraser.
What is your favourite foodie ritual?
I love reading recipe books and looking for recipes that can be adapted for the business. When I eat out, I like to order the most random or unusual thing on the menu.
What did you have for dinner last night?
Tom kha gai (Thai soup).
What are you drinking at the moment?
Almond chai
Details:
Meraki Produce,
2/449a Dean Street, Albury
Phone: 0406 777 628
Open Mon, Wed and Fri, 11am-6pm, Tue and Thurs, 11am-5pm.
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