Regional NSW company Snowy Mountains Cookies is pivoting their business to find new customers for over 200,000 cookies after Covid-19 resulted in suppliers cancelling cookie orders.
Based in the alpine town of Jindabyne, Snowy Mountains Cookies has suffered yet another blow as the area still battles to recover from the devastating bushfires earlier this year.
The business has the capacity to make up to 1.2 tonnes of dough to produce up to 50,000 cookies per day, but this machinery has since come to a stern halt.
With 70 per cent of the business’ sales focussed on the airline industry, it was heavily affected when airline routes were reduced due to government regulations.
“Like our fantastic airlines partners, we too have suffered immensely due to the reduced flying schedules,” Co-Founder Nolen Oayda said. “We value our airline partners support in creating Snowy Mountains Cookies into what it is today and are greatly looking forward to being back in the air together soon.”
But co-owners Nolen and Daisy Oayda have found alternative clients for their products, including the ADF and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Defence Hospitality and catering contractors Compass Group (ESS) and Broadspectrum have placed an order of snacks and cookies to the value of approximately $24,700, helping the business reorientate during the pandemic.
"Snowy Mountain Cookies approached Defence through the Defence Procurement Website and Defence forwarded Snowy Mountain Cookies’ details to the Base Services Contractors for Hospitality," a Defence spokesperson said. "Both contractors took up the offer and the snacks are available at a range of Defence Bases across the ACT, NSW and NT."
"These are one off orders but we are hopeful that there is a chance of a further orders being placed," Oayda said to ADM.
"The products are being used as a snack component in meals away from the messes, such as in dining rooms and in some of the comfort packs for those personnel in quarantine or isolation," the spokesperson said. "The orders have enabled Defence to support Snowy Mountain Cookies and have contributed to the local economy during the current COVID-19 pandemic."