Enabling Agri-Food Innovation

MacTavish West will help you get to the next level.

We’ll aim to understand your food and agri-food business objectives, share our knowledge and experience and help you identify and develop appropriate opportunities.

Let’s have a chat and see where to, from here.

Examples of our work

TALK TO US ABOUT

/// Food Science and Innovation

/// Business & Knowledge Solutions

/// Technology

/// Food & Beverage Innovation Workshops

About Us: We are a family-owned business: small but effective.

In addition to Hazel and Darren’s expertise outlined below, we have access to a wide pool of internationally recognised, experienced associates who can be called upon on a project by project basis, as needed, to ensure that we can offer the most lean and agile team for your project. Our team includes food developers, recipe developers, food technologists, artists, videographers, designers and marketeers.

Dr Hazel MacTavish-West

Creative Food Innovator & VegDoctor, Churchill Fellow

Qualifications:  BscAgric (Hons, Syd), PhD (Tas). CAg.

Hazel is a food scientist with 25+ years’ experience in plant and food science, natural flavours and fragrances, colours and bioactives. In Australia, Hazel works with farmers and primary producers, food manufacturers, retailers and consumers, to create tasty, practical and on-trend new food and beverage products. Hazel provides food innovation training to the Australian food industry, especially the vegetable sector and regional agri-food producers. Connect with Hazel on LinkedIn for regular updates www.linkedin.com/in/vegdoctor/

Darren West

Electronics and Software Designer, Technology Evangelist, Entrepreneur.

Qualifications: BSc(Hons) MPhil CEng MIET MIEAust CPEng

Experience:  Darren is an electronic engineer, scientist and business entrepreneur with key skills in design and prototyping of complex audio visual and computer hardware. Electronic, software, or FPGA contract design services. Darren has recently embarked on a PhD at UTas: Working title:  Smart Soil Sensors for the Vegetable Industry; as part of the Soil CRC project 2.2.02 ‘Smart’ soil sensors, sub project:- Self-learning moisture sensors. 

Food Science and Innovation

We create new food and drink products, including alcoholic beverages such as cider, and gin.  We keep up to speed with food trends both local and global: consumer behaviour, retail and marketing trends, value-adding and packaging innovations, science and technology.

Success! The range of gins we developed for Hellfire Bluff were all recently listed in the 100 Hottest Australian & New Zealand Gins for 2018 in Ginuary 2019.  Here’s the story of their development: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/development-hellfire-bluff-gin-range-dry-ginuary-hazel-mactavish-west/

Business & Knowledge Solutions

We can help you identify and develop a strategy to grow your food, beverage or agri-business in the right direction by providing you with the most appropriate and timely decision-making and innovation tools.

Whether it’s using your resources more efficiently, or identifying and developing appropriate innovations to take your business to the next level: we combine our business nous with scientific, technical and engineering expertise and unique, real-world experience to make a real difference to your business.

Masterclasses and Workshops: We have developed a series of new food innovation workshops, whether you are a start-up, SME or BIG food.  Check out our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/foodinnovationworkshops/ ) for upcoming events near you.

Technology

The World is a complicated place, and technology is constantly evolving.  We can help you navigate this landscape to identify and utilise the best and most appropriate technology solutions for your business.

We can help turn ‘Big Data’ into decision-making information, and develop tailor-made solutions to fit your needs. Talk to us about sensors, data wrangling and bespoke solutions.

What our clients are saying about us.

  • Kennedy-Carrick Consulting

    “I have worked  with Dr Hazel MacTavish-West on a number of projects, ranging from leading creative development of new juice products, to large audience presentation of branded foods, to in-depth one-on-one food marketing consulting. In all cases I have found Hazel to be insightful, professional and a pleasure to work with. At the Mansfield (Vic)…

  • Eat Drink Innovate

    “Hazel MacTavish-West is a leading light in the food innovation industry.  She’s a highly engaging, motivating and no-nonsense speaker, who inspires and educates producers and businesses how to create value-added offers through hands-on, result-focused workshops.  She has the amazing ability to unlock the value of fresh produce, and translate that into desirable and valuable products, many…

  • Radbio Pty. Ltd.

    “Radbio has been working closely with Hazel MacTavish-West developing unique fruit products. Hazel collated and deciphered previous documented research completed by Radbio over several years.  With Hazel’s knowledge and network of associates in food product development, she was able to refine and develop a clear vision of the viability of Radbio’s products.   By further developing…

  • Ashgrove Cheese AmazeBalls

    “When I consider Hazel MacTavish-West I think two things: professionalism and cutting-edge product development. I love the fact that Hazel is consumer and market-centric, solution-driven and willing to listen to suggestions. Above all, MacTavish West are responsive, fast and approachable, enabling our business to shape and seize market opportunities”.  Anne Bennett, Ashgrove Cheese AmazeBalls. www.ashgrovecheese.com.au

  • Hellfire Bluff

    “MacTavish West were given a brief to use Tasmanian flavours in our gins to set us apart from the mainstream.  We were very happy with the final results, which have been accepted into the competitive Australian gin market.  Thank you Darren and Hazel.”  Susie Daly, Hellfire Bluff. www.hellfirebluff.com.au

  • Daly Potato Company

    “MacTavish West helped us get our Potato Salad onto the supermarket shelves, despite the competition, food safety laws and shelf life requirements.  Hazel has extensive knowledge of all facets of the industry and has supported a ‘Mum and Dad’ business turn home-style cooking into shelf-stable products.”  Susie Daly, Daly Potato Company.

  • International Focus

    “MacTavish:West has a respected track record within the fresh produce industry, qualified and experienced in nutritional science with respect to fresh produce.  We were impressed with the quality of scientific input and their ability to respond to deadlines”.  Phil Effingham, United Kingdom

  • Tas Prime Oysters

    “From branding and logo design to value-added products, the professional development that MacTavish West has brought to our company is outstanding”.  Jane Kenane, Tas Prime Oysters. tasprimeoysters.com

  • Houston’s Farm Salads

    “Hazel joined the front line team in sales and marketing at Houston’s Farm at a time when we really needed to change up and direct our new product development into new areas that met the consumers needs and also the desires of our customers, bringing enthusiasm, energy and excitement to our range of bagged salads,…

  • Westerway Raspberry Farm

    “Mactavish West provided us with scientific analysis, new product development guidance and had great contacts in industry to assist us with the production and sale of our new high value fruit based products.  We have never worked with such a responsive and attentive partner in business”.  Richard Clark, Westerway Raspberry Farm www.lanoma.com.au

  • Townsville Food Innovation Workshop

    “Hazel utilised clear language to explain the real opportunities in food innovation.  She knows her subject matter very well, demonstrated her ideas with real World examples and has the gravitas to sell her message”.  Ross Contarino, Australian Industry Group.

  • East Gippsland Food Cluster Workshop

    “Hazel kept a group of East Gippsland vegetable growers and other stakeholders captivated with her market insights and in-depth understanding of the opportunities for extracting more value from vegetables through a range of processing technologies”.  Nicola Watts, East Gippsland Food Cluster Inc. www.eastgippslandfoodcluster.com.au

  • Veginnovations New Product Development Workshops

    Hazel MacTavish-West inspired many producers with her inaugural VegInnovation workshop. Following this, VegPRO is excited to be again working with the VegInnovations team for the 2018 VegInnovations roadshow. Hazel and her team are both professional, easy to work with and passionate about what they do which comes through in their workshops and the feedback I received. Attendees said: “this…

  • Veggycation

    “Veggycation is a very good result- looks excellent and I am sure will be a great tool for educators and industry alike”.  Michael Worthington, Chief Executive Officer, PMA AUS NZ www.veggycation.com.au

  • Brady’s Lookout Cider

    “The direction that MacTavish West provided to us was invaluable.  Without their work, we would have used an alternative model that would have proven to be a challenge for success”  Caroline Brown, Brady’s Lookout Cider www.bradyslookoutcider.com.au

  • The Sensory, Richmond Tasmania

    MacTavish West were commissioned to re-create the scents of specific Tasmanian environments, flora and fauna for a retail installation: ‘The Sensory’ in Richmond, Tasmania.  The three fragrances to be re-created were Leatherwood flower (from which the famous and unique Leatherwood honey comes), Tasmanian Rainforest and the scent of the Tasmanian Devil!  The Sensory domes provided…

News: Food & Beverage Innovation Workshops

We have developed a series of all new food and beverage innovation workshops for 2019. Inspire, empower, and connect local and regional food and beverage businesses and start-ups with this series of capability-building workshops led by industry-experienced, retail savvy and enthusiastic facilitators. The 2019 program of workshops and masterclasses are tailored for start-ups, scale-ups and established businesses wanting to develop, diversify and export a wide range of food and beverage products.  If you are a regional business developer, a food cluster, a grower group or association – the next step is to get in touch with me, to find out more information and for us to organise a workshop to meet your needs.

  • There was a 31% improvement in participants’ self-rated level of knowledge regarding innovation, trends and ideas during the workshop.
  • “A must-visit before embarking on a value-added product adventure”. Michael Tabarth, Fruit Growers Tasmania.
  • “Really valuable use of time. Hearing industry stories; meeting and talking with fantastic industry people; product development exercises”. Katrina Durham, University of Tasmania.
  • “Very good and energetic; good ideas from all, and good “buzz” in the room”. Professor Tom Ross, University of Tasmania.
  • “Discussing real issues with those who are in the game, helps us all to find solutions”. Sally Dakis, Richmond Cherries.

News: The Illustrated VegDoctor!

Hazel MacTavish-West has teamed up with Tasmanian artist Rhona MacTavish (also Hazel’s daughter), to develop “The VegDoctor’s Illustrated Field & Fork Guide to Potent Plants (Volume 1)”. The guide is a zine (mini-magazine) aimed at adults, talking about all the fabulous things in plants that make them scientifically interesting, the health benefits, plus some pop culture and recipes, all jazzed up with beautiful illustrations from Rhona. The Field & Fork Guide is also designed by Rhona, and printed in hard copy as a 16 page zine. You can get your own copy of Volume 1 by emailing info@vegdoctor.com.au or going to www.vegdoctor.com.au to buy one online. Not available in digital as yet.

The new zine about plants and illustrated and designed by Rhona MacTavish

Doctor is Churchill Fellow

Hazel completed a Churchill Fellowship* including a study tour of Europe in early/mid 2018 to investigate the opportunities to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into value-added, convenient, healthy foods.  She focused on opportunities relevant to Australian fruit and vegetable producers, especially around value-adding and utilisation of more of the crop. You can download her report by clicking here (downloadable pdf) www.churchilltrust.com.au

Find Us

MacTavish West Pty Ltd.

445C Macquarie Street,

South Hobart,

Tasmania 7004,

Australia.

ABN 45325280216

ACN 145460877

We are in the two-way section of Macquarie Street, on the right hand side as you head towards the mountain (if you get to ‘The Lost Sock’ Laundrette you have gone too far).  No. 445 houses a balloon shop at the front, and we are in a ground floor unit, behind.  Drive down the ‘SAMCO’ driveway and veer left, there will be parking just outside our unit if we know you are coming.