Charlie’s Fine Food Co. owner Jacky Magid swapped commercial law for manufacturing 25 years ago. Kim Berry talks to her about her experience in the world of baking sweet treats, and the latest move into savoury delights. This article first appeared in the August 2021 issue of Food and Drink Business.
Charlie’s Fine Food Co. has been making sweet tasty treats for more than two decades. In the last 12 months it has introduced its first ever savoury biscuit range (a trio of cheese biscuits), and vegan-friendly cookie dough. The new products are the latest evolution of a company committed to quality and staying competitive in a crowded market.
Jacky and her husband Ken bought the business out of administration. They had just had their first child and Jacky was explaining to a friend she didn’t want to practice law anymore and instead dreamt of running her own business.
“She looked at me and said, ‘you have a business!’ Ken was taking over Charlie’s and needed help. It had employees, customers, was making great products and needed nurturing. It was right there in front of me, and the rest is history,” she says.
“From day one, we never budged on quality. It has always been our mission to source the best ingredients and create all products from scratch. Our foundations are original recipes and traditional methods with a modern twist,” Magid adds.
The company specialises in bite size snacks. Its Mini Bikkie Bites incorporate Australian superfoods like bush finger lime and Kakadu plum as well as a traditional Choc Chip Cookie that has been on the production line since the very beginning.
There are Melting Moments in a range of sizes, which are made with natural colours and flavours as are its range of slices including brownies, caramel slices, and the vegan flourless superfood slice.
“We make seriously delicious ‘guilt-free’ snacks baked with real ingredients. We are all about permissible indulgence. Our mantra is ‘take your pleasure seriously, not yourself’,” Magid says.
Charlie’s is based in Melbourne and most of its business is in the region.
COVID-19 was a catalyst for a renewed focus on achieving a larger retail presence outside of its home state as well as online.
“Making a batch of cookies stand out in the competitive confectionery industry is no mean feat. The barriers of entry are very low – you just need an oven, some butter, flour, and sugar. We can’t afford to take our eye off the market and stop innovating,” Magid says.
We are ambitious and proud, so we have grown gradually, listening to our customers and creating products that meet their needs while ensuring our quality never dipped.
When they bought a business on the verge of bankruptcy, the pair had no choice but to grow. But their ambition to create a quality product without compromise was also a deep motivator.
“We are ambitious and proud of what we do, so we have stepped up gradually, listening to our customers and creating products that meet their needs, all while ensuring our quality never dipped. COVID-19 definitely made us refocus our business towards building up our retail presence and sharing our range with more Australians,” she says.
Over the years the couple have refined their processes, learning to be more efficient and to adjust products to suit changing consumer trends and dietary needs.
Magid is adamant everyone should be able to enjoy a Charlie’s product, its Plant-Powered Cookie Dough range is testament to that. “It’s actually an ideal lockdown pick-me-up – there’s no need to feel guilty about having a cheeky spoonful, as it’s perfectly crafted to be just as enjoyable eaten raw as it is baked,” she adds.
While the company bakes nearly all their products, they are also “experts in collaboration”, working with other manufacturers to bring products to fruition when they have specialisations or equipment that Charlie’s doesn’t have. Magid points out that whatever the product, the Charlie’s product development team designs and oversees from beginning to end.
Magid says: “With more than 25 years of perfecting our delicious range, we also like to think of ourselves as baking mentors. We happily share our knowledge and expertise with like-minded Australian businesses. From recipe development, nutrition, packaging, and strategy.”
The baking industry is not for the faint hearted, with a highly crowded and competitive market with low barriers to entry. Magid says the size of the domestic market and the fragmentation of its food distribution system makes scaling up significantly commercially unviable.
Regardless, for Magid and herteam of bakers, they are more than happy baking delicious treats that bring small moments of pleasure and joy to their customers.
