Cultured foods are enjoying a resurgence both for their health benefits and their artisan qualities. Our interest in food crafting also reflects a hunger for culinary exploration, skill, and innovation which transcends generations.
Reinterpreting old world staples with clever tools and techniques helps reinvigorate and preserve the wisdom of these traditions. Companies like Mad Millie relish this revival, investing in food crafting products for the creative cook. Producing a line of fermentation kits and specialised equipment, from Kimchi to Kifer and a plant-based range offering culturing options for vegans.
What is Mad Millie’s story?
Our story began 10 years ago in New Zealand, as a small group of passionate foodies making cheese. Our goal was to create the smooth, punchy, flavoursome cheese only found at farmers’ markets. Cheese so moreish that you can’t control your consumption and cheese dreams are inevitable. It was tricky at first, but fun and rewarding too. We wanted to share the satisfaction, unbeatable flavour and connection that comes from making food yourself, from scratch. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could break it down and make it achievable for everyone?” we thought. Mad Millie was born and named to represent the passion and spirit of those who go a little mad over their love of crafting.
How do you incorporate ethics in your business?
At Mad Millie we’re making sure we take the time to think, ponder, reflect. We’re actively trying to understand how we can be more sustainable while still inspiring and nurturing people’s creative spirit. From ingredients, packaging and responsible manufacturing practices to being active members of our communities—we’re passionate about doing good and helping to speed up universal wellness. With some of our founding employees still with us to this day, Mad Millie represents a great place to work.
How do you stay true to Mad Millie’s roots?
Mad Millie’s goal is to make things as accessible as possible while ensuring that you, the real creator, still have the chance to get back to basics. We’re all about inspiring slow living and creativity by doing something different with your free time. We want our communities to take a break from the fast-paced reality of life, let their inner creative spirit loose and share their creations with each other. The benefit of slowing down and appreciating what you’re doing is becoming even more important with the technology-driven world we live in. We think it’s vital to switch off and just think about the task at hand. Think about what you’re putting into your food, where it has come from, and how delicious it will be when you share it with friends and family.
How are you perfecting food crafting?
What began as an assortment of cheese kits quickly grew into a full range of over 30 products; from yoghurt and sauerkraut to skyr, vegan cheese and kombucha. The team expanded and moved up North to the big smoke, before branching out into markets across the globe. Through your support, Mad Millie is now available on the shelves in New Zealand, Australia, UK, USA and is making the move on Europe. Over time, the products and packaging have changed and morphed as the brand has grown and developed. The latest update is a total overhaul of the look and feel of Mad Millie; one step closer to creating a better product for our community of creators.
What has helped you become a leader in artisan food kits?
I believe our personality as mentioned above and our core values of innovation, being customer centric, ethical, looking after our Mad Millie family and being proactive and determined. We also have a very strong New Product Development department which produce some amazingly innovative products for our consumers. This, coupled with great customer centric marketing and customer service, has lead us to having some of the strongest brands in the industry.
What is your philosophy when creating your products?
Keeping the customer at the forefront of our minds in the development process to ensure we’re developing a product they want and need, but also one they can use easily and with enjoyment. We do a lot of consumer testing with our products to ensure they meet all the consumer’s requirements before bringing them to market. You will often see us doing pilot and beta launches. This is all part of getting the consumer involved in the Product Development process to allow us to create products that our customers truly love.
What do you believe makes your products so successful?
Our unique products fulfill the desire of handcrafting food and beverages (and the pride that comes with that) at home, and knowing what goes in your food. People are so interested in learning more about the process of what goes into their food and beverages these days, and we provide them with all the tools to get involved and become an artisan themselves.
Creating Artisan Cusine with Cultured Foods
Kenchinjirui (Japanese Vegetable Soup) is a clear soup cooked with root vegetables, tofu, shiitake, and kombu stock. Originating from shōjin ryōri or traditional Buddhist temple cuisine, developed flavours and simple techniques make this dish a wonderful showcase for your homemade tofu. We like this recipe by Namiko Hirasawa Chen.
Rugbrød this seeded-sourdough rye bread is a staple of Danish cuisine served at lunch and celebrations such as Christmas and Easter. It is a dense and long-lasting loaf, with malty and slightly sour notes, a ragged crust and moist but textured crumb. Give your sourdough a Skandi twist and try this recipe by Nordic baker, Louise Hurst.
Skyr is a dairy product originating from Iceland, also known in Sweden as färskor. Cited in the ancient manuscript, The Saga of Egil and the medieval literary work The saga of Grettis, dating back to medieval times. It is high in protein with a distinctive sour taste and a thick consistency, great in curries, dips and deserts, like the Icelandic skyrterta a no-bake skyr cake. Here is a recipe for a blueberry version from the team at Mad Millie.
“With food, we can share and communicate our emotions. It’s that mindset of sharing that is really what you’re eating. There is no difference between cooking and pursuing Buddha’s way.”
Jeong Kwan, The Philosopher chef
Mad Millie kits make wonderful presents, but the creations you make are the genuine gift. Through creating, we learn to respect food by minimizing waste and cooking mindfully. It can be a practice of meditation and a meaningful way to express love and kindness.
