Blog / Beverages

Company Profile : Wray Organic

In our busy modern lives, it can be difficult to make time for preparing meals and shopping for healthy food. We often hurriedly shop at conventional grocery stores, eat unhealthy convenience food, and eat out at restaurants when we need to relax.

The problem is that it can be difficult to find healthy, organic food at conventional supermarkets and restaurants and it can be even more of a challenge if you have food allergies or intolerances.
   
Luckily there is a wonderful chain of Australian grocery stores and cafes called Wray Organic that seeks to provide organic, non-GMO, clean, nutritious and delicious food to people throughout the country, including those with dietary restrictions.

We spoke with Deborah Wray from Wray Organic to find what makes their organic supermarkets and restaurants so unique.

Where are the Wray Organic stores based, and how long has the business been going?
We have always believed this clean, nutritious food should be available to everyone so there are now 10 certified organic stores located throughout SE Queensland & Tamworth, NSW.

Where did the idea for Wray Organic come from and how did you get it started?
I first became interested in organic food when my son was unwell at the age of 16. A mother with a sick child very quickly learns what needs to be done to make your child well again. The more I learnt about the way food is being grown, processed & stored the less I bought from a supermarket. The doctor suggested my son eat certified organic food so I used to shop all over the place trying to find it. Unfortunately, I noticed when shopping at a farmer’s market many would say the produce was ‘organic’ but there were no guarantees because the farms were not certified organic. In 2005 my partner Gary Davis & I sold everything so we could open our first store.

Why is it important to you that your product ranges are certified organic?
It is extremely important that our groceries and produce are certified organic as they are free from genetically modified ingredients, have not been treated with methyl bromide, free of synthetic preservatives, colours & flavour enhancers, free of synthetic pesticides, systemic pesticides, herbicides & fungicides and free of growth hormones & antibiotics.

Not only does Wray Organic stock ‘certified organic’ products we also have a strict procedure where the products need to be ‘Wray worthy’. All products are thoroughly researched before they are approved for our shelves. That’s why we may not stock products that appear in other stores and are branded as ‘natural’, or ‘insecticide free’ because they are not ‘Wray worthy’. Existing stock is also constantly reviewed.

What is unique about the Wray Organic brand?
We are purists and customers will often say we offer ‘food they can trust’. Our bulk section for example isn’t a mix of non-organic & organic products. We also offer a certified organic café.  Unlike other so called ‘organic’ cafes all the ingredients in a Wray Organic cafe are certified organic - the eggs, bread, milks, fruit & veg, everything! Of course we don’t use a microwave.

The Wray Organic Cafes serve plenty of wheat free, diary free and gluten free options. Why is this important to you and your customers?
We recognise that many people have a variety of dietary needs, so we’ve always catered for this. The bonus is that all our ingredients are certified organic. We also offer food which is vegan, vegetarian, paleo etc.

Which of the meals or drinks at Wray Organic Cafe are your most popular and what do you attribute this to?
Too many to mention. The juices are a hit because the ingredients don’t leave a bitter aftertaste from synthetic pesticide residues. Our cakes have a big following, particularly the chocolate ones!

Which of the products sold by Wray Organic are your “best-sellers” and what do you attribute this to?
Our certified organic produce is our biggest seller due to the taste & energy the food provides. My son regained his health within 6 months of eating this food. I thought I was well but eating certified organic food I noticed a huge increase in my energy levels & I noticed I didn’t need to eat as much. Our customers also notice this. I realised there is a higher level of living that I may never have discovered if my son hadn’t become unwell.

What other product ranges do you stock?
We are your one stop certified organic grocery store.

Where can people find out more about Wray Organic?
To learn more about Wray Organic and why we do what we do visit; www.wrayorganic.com.au or visit our Facebook page; www.facebook.com/wrayorganic

You’ve just recently opened up your first store in NSW, in Tamworth. Do you have any new developments in the pipeline that we can look forward to?
We hope to open more stores!