Ethical business and food entrepreneur, Kate Weiss was honoured to win the business category at the InStyle and Audi Women of Style Awards last week. Kate founded the healthy food brand, Table of Plenty six years ago and has watched it grow into a multi-million dollar business stocked in more than 2000 stores and exported to over six countries.
Kate beat fellow nominees Diana Williams, the founder of the Fernwood gym chain and Lorna Jane Clarkson, the face behind the Lorna Jane sportswear retailers. The award was judged by an impressive panel including Katie Page, the managing director of Harvey Norman and Museum of Contemporary Art director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor. This is the fourth annual InStyle and Audi Women of Style Awards, which aim to celebrate the outstanding achievements of successful women in Australia.
“InStyle are leading the way in promoting and recognising women’s achievements across many fields,” says Kate. “I am proud to be a part of this great network and it was an honour to win the business category, especially considering the tough competition I was up against. Those are some big names and it was a real surprise!”
Kate was inspired to start the business after her life took a dramatic turn when her daughter Amy was born with a rare genetic condition; Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome, and an intellectual disability. At the time, Kate was working demanding hours as a sales and marketing manager. The long hours and inflexible environment collided with the demands of Amy’s needs and Kate felt pushed out of the system. As a result she ended up at home looking after Amy full-time. It was a tough time for Kate, yet out of the seeds of hopelessness, she managed to reconnect with her passion for food and creativity and saw the opportunity to create a healthy food brand with mothers at its heart – food you can trust, from one mother to another. In 2006, Table of Plenty was born.
Table of Plenty thrives on making food products that are tasty and nutritious as well as quick and easy to prepare. Their unique ranges include deliciously natural mueslis, sweet mini rice cakes, a range of international-inspired spice blends and dukkahs, and – as of recently – they’ve added children’s No-No’s bars to their impressive portfolio.
Since the company’s launch in 2006, Table of Plenty has become a multi-million dollar business, with its biggest breakthrough coming when the brand began to be stocked in major supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, attracting a loyal and growing customer base.
Table of Plenty is stocked in around 2000 outlets across Australia, as well as being exported to international destinations including Dubai, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and soon Europe. Now in its 6th year, Table of Plenty has five staff, boasts an annual turnover of a few million dollars and is expanding rapidly.
As an integral part of its foundation and motivation, Table of Plenty actively supports several organisations for children and people with disabilities, working closely as Community Partner to Scope (a disability support services organisation) as well as providing monetary donations and employment opportunities. Table of Plenty also donates products to causes that promote a healthy lifestyle, for example the Bicycle QLD Ride to Work Day.
For more information, visit www.tableofplenty.com.au
About Table of Plenty: Table of Plenty was established by Kate Weiss in 2006. After the birth of her daughter, who has a rare genetic syndrome, Kate turned adversity into opportunity to create a brand that puts mums in the middle. Committed to helping those with busy lives put a decent meal on the table, Table of Plenty draws on Kate’s wealth of knowledge about spices, herbs and healthy foods. The business has grown to be a trusted brand, including a range of creative cereals, spices and healthy snacks.
