Over the years we have had the pleasure of working alongside some truly passionate people, who were inspired to create delicious products for the many FODMAP Friendly eaters worldwide.
We decided to sit down one on one with each of our Certified manufacturers, and allow you to learn a little more about the people behind the brands you love!
Meet Andrew Bertalli, of Alpine Breads
Tell us how Alpine Breads first began?
In 1992, the deregulation of the Victorian bread industry meant you could deliver anywhere you wanted in Victoria and Bertalli’s Alpine Breads in Benalla knew the major companies would come up to the country and flood the market with their normal square breads.
The Bertalli family thought they had to come up with a niche market to survive. The answer was specialist sourdough breads, which they had seen overseas. The Bertalli’s decided to go to the city where the numbers were greater.
Why did you decide to introduce a FODMAP Friendly range into your line of breads and rolls?
No one was doing sourdough in the supermarkets at that time, but Bertalli’s Alpine Breads Benalla offered original products, rye grain and that sort of thing.
Bertalli’s Alpine Breads Benalla came out with specialty breads before other well known brands did them in supermarkets – including those who are owned by a big bread company.
Bertalli’s Alpine Breads Benalla keeps one step ahead and keeps bringing out new products one at a time. They try to offer something unique and different that is not on the market yet.
Constantly finding new bread ranges would seem a tough challenge for even the largest companies with huge product development departments, but this is where Andrew Bertalli’s passion for his product comes through.
The Bertalli’s Alpine Breads Benalla’s latest idea for a new bread came from seeing the growth in wheat germ in popular juice bars. His new sprouted grain bread boasts grains that have been left to sprout and germinate which greatly enhances and enriches the vitamin content.
In fact, Bertalli’s Alpine Breads Benalla have come up with so many innovative products, that they can often be ahead of the market.
“People have told me for years how much better there feel after eating my bread. Then we came across Fodmap. After some research and getting a good understanding of Fodmap, it started to make sense why people felt better eating our breads. Alpine Breads are all about better, healthier digestive breads” – Andrew Bertalli.
How has the FODMAP Friendly Certification Program helped grow your business?
Being the first in the world certified FODMAP Friendly bread has given us great media. FODMAP will open the doors of supermarkets in other Australian States in the near future and in the long term maybe export.
What is the best feedback you have received from customers about the low FODMAP range?
I had a customer send me an email six months ago saying, ‘thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, I can eat bread again. I have not been able to eat bread for ten years, you don’t realize what you have done to my life. I can have a real sandwich for lunch, toast for breakfast just like normal people’. When you get feedback like this it blows you away.
Where can people find more information about your brand, including the Certified line of products?
People can go to www.alpinebreads.com.au to find out about our breads or send an email to info@alpinebreads.com.au
Thank you to Andrew for taking the time to tell us more about his infamous FODMAP Friendly Alpine Breads range. For more details about these delicious breads, as well as all our other FODMAP Friendly certified products check out our new App, as well as online information.
Don’t forget to let us know on our Facebook page which of the Alpine FODMAP Friendly loaves you enjoy the most!
