Hi folks, I’m Áine Ní Bhraoin, the proud creator of all ginger inspired goodies that you see here.

This all came about my desire of being creative and kitchen. I will honestly try to make anything once, if it makes me happy, I keep making it, simple. Though my background wasn’t in food at the time, it was something else creative. I was a Graphic Designer and also an Outdoor Instructor.

This is how I came up with making my own crystallised ginger. I was at the supermarket back in 2016 in Canada. After seeing the crystallised ginger on the shelf I saw my next culinary adventure. To be honest I never thought I’d make it a business. It was just a joy to make, a great treat that I could give to anyone and everyone who would sample it. I just made it as I was curious if what I made would taste the same or would it be better. Then I realised it was leaps and bounds different. More ginger zingy and lingering flavour and heat. Perfect for my outdoor adventures that I was having in the Canadian Rockies.

I returned to Ireland then in 2017 and moved to Wesport, where I had lived before, and worked as a Graphic Designer with Portwest. Happily working away and then finished my contract work and looked for my next position.

That is when the idea started coming into my mind. What other ginger products were out there, I saw stem ginger by Biona in Cafe Rua in Castlebar. Then in Claremorris, I saw a ginger syrup made by Opies. My question was could I create a range that would compete with flavour, quality and profitable.

In 2020, I was laying the foundations to get this baby on the road, but that C word came along and made everything a lot slower to come to fruition. I laid some extra business foundation, such as taking a UCD course in Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. Seeing the light and the need to upskill in the food industry, I took the fabulous diploma course at UCC in Food Speciality Production. It was just a fabulous course and laid the final blocks to get everything going.

During the UCC course I moved to Kerry in February 2021. I saw the range of food markets and having stayed in the area in the past, I thought it was the right time to make the move. I found an organic food shop that could order in large boxes of organic Peruvian ginger in for me and still doing it to this day.

I started making my crystallised ginger and from that the ginger syrup range came along. I was selling in the lovely markets in Tralee, Dingle and Castlegregory back in the summer of 2021. I submitted my product in with the chance of being accepted for Super Valu’s Food Academy.