Founder Journeys | Josie and Robbies Pickles and Preserves.
Josie Robinson and her husband Gus are the founders of Robbies Pickles and Preserves, a Southland business making award-winning pickled onions, sauces, pickles and preserves. Josie has worked with COIN South since its inception and it’s safe to say we’ve been awestruck by Josie’s hard work, adaptability and perseverance to grow the business. Find out more about Josie’s journey, onion tears and going with your gut.
Tell us about how Robbies started?
It has been well documented. It was really a big life collision. Personal heartbreak, a strong gut feeling that refused to be ignored, daring to dream & not being allowed to give away all I made, as friends wanted to buy it. I then quit my job, got really busy doing, growing, making, spent a year working on recipe ideas and trying to get what I needed. Well, what I thought I needed. Really though my gut created all of this in 2015, I acted on it.
During the first lockdown of 2020 you reached a turning point with your business, can you tell us more about that?
We went from being busy and having a plan to nothing. The shelves that I could never fill were full and I couldn't stand that. No markets, everything was cancelled. So after the initial shock of the lockdown, I asked myself a question: Are you done yet? My gut answer was, you are not done yet. It would have been easy to walk away then. From that moment on I did whatever I could to keep going. Ordered tonnes of onions, brought a chiller, brought pallets of jars, that level of survival brings an intensity I had never had before. 80% of our business went overnight. A website was created in a weekend, by the most amazing humans. We had to learn about promoting our business on a national scale. Professional photos were taken. Navigating the social media scene was hard. The only thing we didn't have was any medals from food awards. I also entered a Soda Inc. grant, once I worked out I was eligible. I know I used raw words and somehow I was a finalist. I also became a member of the Southland Chamber of Commerce.
In 2020 you were a finalist with the Soda seed grants, what did this enable you to do?
We were a finalist in the seed grant! My first call was to the most amazing Lou from Coin South, she was super excited! She rearranged all her plans to be able to shoot the video the following Monday at my home. She shot over an hour of footage. She made the whole process so easy with great questions. She spent some serious time editing it and getting it ready for submission. I will forever be grateful for what she did for me.
I was then asked to do a Q & A, which was done at Coin South. During the question time, I was only asked one question. How will you upscale when you need to? You are like the Pics of Peanut Butter in Pickles and Preserves. I couldn't even comprehend what that looked like, they obviously knew more than I did. The publicity was overwhelming, I worked crazy hours and almost completely burnt out. I then made a beeline for the quiet behind the scenes life, only attending events.
That money began my relationship with Malloch McLean, John Schol & Sarah Valli. I brought a business plan. I had just enough left to buy a bunch of flowers for Lou & some GF chocolates for Conrad {Broad from The Custom Bubble}. All the money was gone, and my heart was full. That was the beginning of the business strategy, planning and financial work. I have worked with Malloch McLean for all of the time since then and I have pivoted, changed and learned.
In June you won an Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, congratulations! What does this mean for Robbie’s?
Remember this had been on my to do list for two years? Time to do it. A very special sauce that I made during lockdown. One I had wanted to make for about six months, ordered all the ingredients, then lockdown happened. I left it on the shelf for nearly 6 months, insisted on a French name, because it was so special. Then I was afraid to take it to events. It was made for those who have dietary and health barriers, which seriously affect their food choices.
We won a Bronze for our Honey + Balsamic Pickled Onion & a Gold for Noir Garlik Black Garlic sauce GF. We also won Free From special award at the awards dinner in June in Auckland. Mixing with NZ food royalty! WOW!
We have sold more sauce since that win than we have in two years. Demand is off the charts! The medals have removed barriers for people buying these products, and as the medal award news has travelled far, everywhere we go everyone knows. We are now a credible, sought after manufacturer. We have a lot of new opportunities from some very big names in the national food scene. We are on the shelves of Peter Gordon's Homeland restaurant in Auckland! They recently used Noir Garlik in a dish.
I was the most humble recipient of the Free From award (the best one to win for me) it validates a lot for me. I couldn't believe it and I couldn't talk, all I said was no words, thank you! Everyone cheered, people had hairs standing up on their arms and tears. If nothing else I am genuine. My gut wrote the recipe, my heart knew it was good enough and my head didn't.
It is most certainly a game changer for our business. We are now trying to build a team of staff and looking for an off site kitchen to upscale (our way) our operation.
Where do you see Robbie’s in five years?
I have some short term and long term goals, which I'm working on now. I will hopefully be in an advisory role in this business by then, having skilled trained staff to do the physical side of this. I will be the business owner, creating recipes and running the sales team, possibly. Who would've known that we would of got this far?? Certainly not me! I've exceeded every goal that I originally set. The next five years? It's not written yet.
I do have to thank so many for all our success. My husband and family, my business mentors and advisors, their tough conversations, skill set, support and expertise have helped us and me greatly. Our most loyal customers and supporters, they are the best. The amazing local producers we collab with, never say never and never stop trying to evolve and grow in whatever you do.
And finally, do you have tips on helping stop onion tears?
There is really no way around that. I need air flow between my eyes and the chopping board, or not sitting standing directly above the chop. Sometimes, especially with red onions there are lots of tears. I told my eyes a long time ago, I was doing this and to get over it!
Thank you to Josie for chatting with us and sharing your journey. We love seeing how you have worked with other Southland businesses to grow. If you’d like to see Robbie’s full range head to robbies.nz
