By Jed Lanyon
Woori Yallock organics business Teelixir has been nominated for two major awards by the Australian Organic Awards for Excellence.
Teelixir’s Mushroom Cacao Latte starring Reishe and Rose is in the running to be awarded Certified Organic Non-Alcohol Product of the Year and the Best New Organic Certified Product.
Teelixir co-owner Julze Serendipity said, “We’re just super excited to get organics out into the world. It’s just amazing to be nominated and recognised for all the things we’re doing.
“We’ve got a set of four lattes but we could only put one forward for the award.
“The reishi rose cacao latte is my personal favourite. It’s calming and it’s basically got three herbs that are centred around the heart… It’s a yummy way to calm your stresses down.”
Mr Serendipity started out as a sole trader selling superfood products at markets.
“I sold pretty much everything, cacao, lucuma, bee pollen. Any sort of superfood I was into, but I started to increase a focus on medicinal mushrooms,” he said.
“I wasn’t really selling very much because people didn’t really know about it. I guess I was one of the first people to bring it forth into people’s awareness.
“What seems to have happened now is that a mushroom consciousness has expanded globally and we’re one of the biggest, if not the biggest in Australia in terms of the mushroom community.
“We’re very proud to be part of the organic movement, obviously that’s very important to us.”
The business’ distribution has been located in Woori Yallock for three years after Teelixir moved out from the old Yarra Junction police station.
Teelixir’s mushrooms are grown naturally from northern China and Siberia in what is called ‘Di Tao’, which means authentically sourced.
“The one that I think stands head and shoulders over for us is the reishi mushroom,” Mr Serendipity said.
“So many people are so stressed and are need of alleviating that stress and calming themselves down, and reishi does that.
“So many people go, ‘oh it’s another fad’, and then they take it and are amazed.
“Reishi calms the heart and the liver, it builds the immune system. It works on the brain and you can use it as a meditative or sleep aid.
“If you take it early in the day, rather than putting you to sleep, it’ll give you this gentle ramp up for the day.
“Unlike coffee which will overstimulate your adrenals and cause you to have that crash effect, this will prevent that. It’s a phenomenal herb.
“To some extent the Yarra Valley is actually the cradle for organics, not only for Australia but for the world.
“Powelltown is where the Bio-Dynamic Research Institute of Australia is. Organics were really spearheaded in the valley.
Late Powelltown resident Alex Podolinksy was a pioneer in biodynamic agriculture and founded the Biodynamic Marketing Company in 1981.
The Australian Organic Awards for Excellence will be held in Melbourne on Friday 15 November.
For more information about Teelixir and to view their range of certified organic products, visit https://teelixir.com/.
