Niyoka Bundle is the director and co-founder of Taka Gin Co. She launched the native fusion gin company alongside her husband, chef Vincent Manning, during a COVID lockdown a little over a year ago, and it has grown rapidly since. The brand’s lemongrass and lemon-scented gum gin, which uses First Nations native botanicals, is now stocked all over Australia. Here, Niyoka reflects on Taka Gin’s journey and shares tips for aspiring business owners.

Tell us about yourself and your business. I own and run a catering company based in Melbourne that specialises in using native herbs, plants and animals in our food. Our mission is to showcase native foods to people who don’t get the chance or know how to incorporate these foods into everyday home cooking. Taka Gin was created during lockdown, when our catering business was closed. We wanted to bring our experience and culture to a new consumer base, and to start a project that we could work on during COVID.

Why did you decide to use native ingredients in your gin? We use all sorts of plants and herbs in our catering business, and would often make an iced tea using native lemon myrtle. Drawing on my knowledge from my Indigenous heritage and the concepts from our catering company, we decided to look at flavours in gin that hadn’t been used as widely as lemon myrtle. We were looking for something unique in the industry that we could showcase and give consumers a new experience of.

How would you describe your relationship with native produce and Indigenous flavours? I have always loved cooking, so it was only natural to use native produce and create new foods that are blended with the current techniques of everyday cooking. Growing up, we were immersed in our culture, especially with our traditional foods, so it has always been there for me to draw on and create.

Taka is stocked in stores all over Australia. What’s your approach to finding and communicating with potential stockists? I usually seek out stockists. I like to find companies and brands that align with us and I’m very proactive in making new connections. I communicate our story and lead into why and how this is a great partnership for both of us.

How do you balance running Taka alongside your catering business? I like to work all the time. Seriously! As my businesses are in the same industry, they flow with one another. I have learnt so much from being a start-up catering business and adapted processes for Taka Gin, so I started strong in that sense. I made sure I had some key things in place before launching Taka, and having that prior knowledge helped.

How important is it for you to work with local businesses and suppliers, like NATIF and Gypsy Hub, to create your product? The people we work with have helped to carve out our style, taste and story. It’s great to work with local companies and we can all support each other. The knowledge between us is also a really great thing to have, especially when you are entering into a new business and a new product.

What strategies did you use to grow Taka during lockdown? Launching a business during COVID was perfect for us; we created a strong organic presence prior to launching and engaged people by offering free delivery around Melbourne while in lockdown. It worked well, as locals were sending gifts to each other and word-of-mouth spread quickly. I knew we had to launch strong, and we did. We went in with the approach of a respectable, premium brand, and we would deliver on that through taste and quality. It was tricky, but I took the same approach as launching our catering business. Starting strong and owning what you’re offering is a big part.

What’s the biggest business risk you’ve taken? I’ve risked a lot. Growing the business has huge risks and we recently dabbled in international export. Sometimes those partnerships don’t work and might not necessarily be right for you. You have to learn what you need versus what you want, and that takes time to learn. Other businesses’ intentions are not always aligned with your values, so you have to learn how to read the situation. Partnerships don’t always equal value.

Your mum, Vicki Couzens, created the artwork on Taka Gin’s bottles. What’s the meaning behind the art and what was it like to work with your mother? The artwork represents the molecular components in the gin. It’s a visual representation of the flavours in our gin, represented in a cultural way. Aboriginal art from Victoria is predominantly line work, not dots. Working with my mother was sort of the only option. I knew she could capture the perfect visual personality of our brand. I didn’t have to say much to her – when I sent her the brief, she just knew.

If you could give any advice to other Indigenous people who are looking to start a business, what would you say? Be clear on your brand, who you are and what you want. Being legit is the first thing people look for, so starting strong is your only option. With so much of our lives revolving around being online, your online presence is paramount!

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