Wild Foods launches marketplace for Indigenous wild produce

Wild Foods has launched an online marketplace for Indigenous-led wild food products, opening with offerings from Bush Beef and Salty Monkeys Seafood.

The business launched in Brisbane and is supplying customers and wholesalers in Brisbane and Sydney through a distribution model focused on remote Indigenous-owned producers. It said it spent several months building the supply chain and commercial framework before going live.

The initial range centres on two suppliers from northern Australia. Bush Beef is operated by the Normanby Aboriginal Corporation on Balnggarrawarra Country in Cape York, while Salty Monkeys Seafood is a Torres Strait Islander-owned business based on Badu Island in the Torres Strait.

Wild Foods is the exclusive distributor for both brands, handling cold chain logistics, food safety compliance, marketing and market access for producers that might otherwise struggle to reach urban buyers on commercial terms.

The marketplace was created to connect First Nations food producers with households, retailers and restaurants. Wild Foods is positioning the business as part of a broader Indigenous food economy, sourcing products from remote communities and selling them into metropolitan markets.

One early restaurant customer is Melbourne restaurant Attica, which has added Bush Beef to its menu. The move gives Wild Foods an early foothold in higher-end hospitality as it seeks to broaden recognition of products from remote Indigenous enterprises.

"We're always looking for delicious, unique, and sustainable ingredients to add to our menu, and Wild Beef is a perfect fit for us," said Ben Shewry, Owner of Attica.

"Wild Foods sources real food with no shortcuts or compromise, adopting an 'eat the problem' attitude. This food is harvested with respect for the planet, and we are proud to cook and serve it," Shewry said.

Supply chain

Its network includes storage, freight and food partners across Queensland and beyond. They include Brisbane Cold Storage, Cool Couriers, Byron Gourmet Pies, Food Connect Shed, Fraser Isle Seafood, Harbourside Transport, Prestige Foods, Rocky Creek Abattoir, Seaswift, House of Yum Cha and SLR Trans.

The Bush Beef offer comes from cattle on Normanby Station that graze on native grasses. Wild Foods said the operation addresses environmental and cultural impacts linked to wild cattle on Country by bringing the animals into a commercial food channel.

Products currently listed from that supply stream include wild beef mince, wild beef pies and specialty cuts for restaurants. The pies include native ingredients such as pepperberry, saltbush and bush tomato.

"We're turning a cultural and environmental challenge into an opportunity for our land and community. Cattle were introduced to Normanby Station more than 100 years ago and have since impacted native vegetation and sensitive wetlands. Now we're restoring the balance by turning wild cattle into an authentic paddock-to-plate experience, giving people across Australia a wild food like no other," said Vince Harrigan, Managing Director, Normanby Aboriginal Corporation.

"We are grateful to Wild Foods for backing us and providing the opportunity to bring our wild beef to plates around the country," Harrigan said.

Seafood range

Salty Monkeys Seafood brings tropical rock lobster, known as Kaiar, to the marketplace. The lobsters are hand-caught by local Torres Strait Islander divers working in partnership with Traditional Owners.

The product line includes whole hand-caught Kaiar and a Kaiar gyoza made by House of Yum Cha in Melbourne. Wild Foods said the lobster is one of the few commercially caught in Australia with a Good Fish green sustainability rating.

Founder Dennis Fay described the business as a route to market for fishers whose work and expertise are often far removed from end customers. He said careful handling of the catch is critical to preserving quality and value.

"Salty Monkeys Seafood is a Torres Strait seafood venture built to connect local fishermen, premium Kaiar and customers who value provenance, quality and story. Our lobsters are hand-caught by local divers, handled with care, and brought to market through a pathway that recognises the skill, risk and value of the fishermen behind every Kaiar.

"Every Kaiar begins with a fisherman entering the ocean. The work can mean rough seas, low visibility, predators, harmful sea creatures and changing conditions. Behind the product is real risk, discipline and ocean knowledge.

"From ocean to plate, Wild Foods recognises what we know: every step matters. Kaiar must be handled carefully to protect its premium condition, texture, flavour and value.

"This is seafood with origin. Seafood with skill behind it. Seafood that carries the story of Torres Strait fishermen and the waters they know. We are proud to be part of the wild food movement, led by the dedicated, passionate team at Wild Foods," said Fay.

Business model

Wild Foods was founded by Esparq, which backs Indigenous businesses, and is led by Darryl Majid. The company said many remote Indigenous producers have historically lacked the infrastructure needed to secure pricing and market access for premium food products.

Majid said the business was built to provide shared systems for producers rather than leave each operator to build distribution, compliance and branding alone. He described the marketplace as commercial infrastructure for an Indigenous-led food sector that remains fragmented.

"Wild Foods is building a stronger, more connected Indigenous food economy based on trust, provenance and shared systems. We're building a community around eating wild, where every product carries the story of where it came from, connecting you to Country and strengthening First Nations business," said Darryl Majid, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Esparq.

"Remote Indigenous producers have historically lacked the infrastructure to succeed, largely because they have not been able to command the prices their premium products require and deserve. Wild Foods is the sector enabler, bringing together culture and commercial sustainability to create something genuinely new while uplifting the Indigenous food ecosystem," Majid said.