Cheesebuddies – delicious and Gluten Free. Alicia Smith

Cheesebuddies – delicious and Gluten Free.
Alicia Smith: Cheesebuddy is a new and delicious gluten free cheese bun from a traditional
Brazilian recipe. They are made right here in Western Australia. You can find them in the freezer
section – just bake them for half an hour and they're ready to eat.
On Wednesday the 18th of August 2010 I made a visit to the Cheesebuddy factory in Malaga to have
a talk with Luis Simione, the Sales Manager and one of the owners of the Cheesebuddy business.
The factory was a little noisy on occasion but I decided to continue with recording, and we got to
talking about how the business started. Please note the transcript of this interview has been edited a
little for legibility.
Factory noise..
Alicia: So you started the business a year ago?
Luis Simione: Yes...from home, one a year ago. My wife and I - well my mother-in-law came here
to visit us one year ago, from Brazil.
Alicia: So..she's from Brazil and just..
Luis: Yes, my wife is from Brazil too.
Alicia: My husband's mother is Spanish.
Luis: Ah, Really?
Alicia: Yes, I was listening to the people talking...(the chef &cetera)
Luis: Ahh, you recognised!
Alicia: And I was thinking, that doesn't really sound like Spanish...but it
sounds enough like Spanish ---ahh-- Brazilian cheese bread – Brazil –
Portugal – I'll ask!
Luis: Word association! (Laughs) – That's marvellous!
Alicia: – Because the Portuguese were in Brazil rather than the Spanish wasn't it?
Luis: - That's it, that's it. Brazil is the only country which speaks Portuguese in the whole of South
America. Yes, like I was saying, my mother in law came here then, she realised we could make
cheese product, those yummy cheese breads here in Australia by purchasing the ingredients at
Kakulas Store.
Alicia: Ah, at Kakulus
Luis: In the city. So then, well, she makes a couple of times – and then before she left for Brazil,
she asks us why don't you guys do a business with this.
Alicia: Because it was needed!
Luis: YES, exactly, that's it!
(Laughter)
Alicia: We desperately needed Brazilian cheese-bread!
Luis: Yes, yes. Because cheese product is top of marketing in Brazil, in America, in Spain, even in
Portugal. So, then we thought, ah, what well, we thought, it would be a great idea, why not? Then
we developed the idea. Then we started making some recipes from home, to be honest, more than a
hundred recipes Alicia: A lot of experimentation!
Luis: A lot of a lot of a lot of
experimentation, a lot of yes, effort – well,
then we are here, we got a factory open about
two months ago, and yes, after, nowadays
we've got two other partners
Alicia: Mmm-hmm
Luis: Who came to help us, to get our
business stronger, and for us to be able to
expand, like from home to get a factory in
Malaga is like a dream for us!
Alicia: Yes, it's very compact, but efficient, because you're everywhere, you know, every freezer I
look in when I'm shopping, oh, Cheesebuddies!
Luis: Yes
Alicia: Cool, I need a pack!
Both: (Laugh)
Luis: Yes, when we actually we were starting the business, our idea, our intention is, let's make,
let's provide Australians with something different, with something new because we already know
that this product, we already knew, we grew up, eating those cheesebreads in Brazil so we thought it
would be fair - America, Brazil, some countries in Europe have it.
Alicia: Australia deserves it!
Luis: Yes, Exactly, exactly, because we do love this country! We came here, well, three, nearly four
years ago and our intention, is well, as you can see, to stay here in Australia, and go to Brazil for
holidays and yes, Australia also deserves this great product and we started hopefully, yeah, this
product, going to take off here in Australia as well as we are getting ourselves.
Alicia: I don't have to ask you anything! You've got a very good, um...no, it's going well.
So, is it available Australia wide, in every State?
Luis: Not yet. Nowdays, it's available firstly here in WA in Perth, and some regions, in Margaret
Region as well (Margaret River) and, in Sydney it's available in about 13 retailer shops, in about 20
restaurants, and that's it. So we..
Alicia: Intending to expand?
Luis: Exactly! We are trying to expand more and get distributors in other States or perhaps, well, do
what this here, build a factory, in all the States as well, so let's see how it goes because it's pretty..
Alicia: So doing it, a bit like a microbrewery, you can you know, sort of have spots...
Luis: Yes..
Alicia: and it helps with transport as well
Luis: Yes
Alicia: Refrigerated road transport across the Nullabor...it's not wonderful, is it
Luis: Yeah, that's it, that's it ...yeah, it's well, we haven't experienced, well we haven't experienced
any problems, any concerns with our refrigerated transport.
Alicia: No, it's just expensive!
Luis: Yes, expensive! Exactly, expensive. More expensive than the normal transport. Yes, so I hope
in a few months time we have, we will be able to offer to every single Australian in this country.
Alicia: Thinking overseas?
Luis: Well yes, we'll see, imagine, if we export some cheesebreads!
Alicia: Ours are the best, of course!
Luis: Yes, that's it, that's it. Because, Alicia, to be honest, when we started the business, one year
ago as I told you, then down the track we went back to Brazil to do a bit of homework, to taste the
other brands as well, 'cause in Brazil there is about 7 only some provinces, frozen cheese breads in
this supermarkets you can find about 7 brands, 7 breads,
Alicia: Wow!
Luis: So if there's one freezer only for cheesebreads in Brazil. And we tried all of those 7 to start an
experience of what they looked like, what they taste like...
Alicia: What they were doing right, what they were doing wrong
Luis: Exactly, exactly, then we noticed, not because I'm one of the owners of this, but we noticed
that after we have had all of our experiences, our cheese product is, is, really yummy, one of the
best ones we have tried in Brazil because over there there is so much competition,
Alicia: Yes
Luis: So they put the salt in high levels, they reduce the cheese. Try to reduce the costs and that's
why the Cheesebuddy here in Australia is the winner, if we compare to the other ones in Brazil. We
are so proud to say that. We are so offering to Australians a better product .
Alicia: The way it should be!
Luis: Exactly! The way it should be. So that's why, well, always when we talk about the product,
we're talking about the passion, about the love, because it started.
Alicia: I can hear that from your voice.
Luis: Yes, exactly
Alicia: And it's very exciting to have a business like this start up here, because W.A is generally so
isolated, we're generally, the second or third to get anything that comes out in Australia and
because, we're just so distant, we're glad you came here!
Luis: Oh, thank you!
Alicia: Very much so!
(Laughter)
Luis: Thank you Alicia, it's appreciated!
Alicia: Now there are several gluten free expos round the country. I think there's a couple in Sydney
coming up, this year, will you be demo-ing there or?
Luis: Yes, we are thinking of attending
two other expos by the end of the year.
And our first expo was in
February/March, the Gluten Free Expo
Alicia: Oh, I didn't see you! And you
were there!
Luis: Yes! We were there, we were
there!
Alicia: It was very crowded, wasn't it?
Luis: Very crowded, and we had an
awesome response. The reason we are here today is because we attended that expo. The Gluten Free
Expo, we realised how strong a response was – we got awesome feedback from all of those peoples
who were there, amazing then we realise that we were offering another option for coeliac people
who cannot eat gluten, so yes, we hadn't had our factory open yet, at that time. So after that
feedback, we started to get our factory actually, to be honest, yes, after. That feedback.
Alicia: I'm amazed that, you know, this has all happened, and it's terrific really – considering – that
was not that long ago!
Luis: No, no
Alicia: It's just extraordinary
Luis: Yes, yes.
Alicia: You've done very well!
(Laughter)
Alicia: You know it looks like you've been going a couple of years, here, you know everyone's just
Doing It, you know..
Luis: Routine you know..
Alicia: We've been here for years, Cheesebuddy!
(Laughter)
Alicia: Who thought of the name?
Luis: Myself and my wife. Yeah, we would drive down the coast, we were looking at some waves
to give us because we live at North Beach, we always drive a bit down West Coast Drive, drive
then, well we thinking, Ah, make something, we are in Australia, we are here so lets make
something which seems to be like Aussie name, because we are, we are here, we are not in Brazil,
where it's a Brazilian recipe it's true, but we are offering something to the Australians, so lets, lets,
think, it's made of cheese, then the name was created, ah well buddy, and I used to say, everything,
“Ah, cheers, Buddy, Cheers buddy, cheersbuddy, Cheesebuddy!”
Alicia: It flows off the tongue..
Luis: Yes, exactly, it was like a little joke, instead of Cheers, Buddy, instead Cheesebuddy, because
it's made of cheese, then yeah, that's why the story of the name, yes.
Alicia: Ok, once I've cooked them, and I've got some left over which is extremely unlikely, but it
might happen
Luis: Ok
(Laughter)
Alicia: How do they refreeze, when they're cooked?
Luis: When they're cooked.. we don't recommend, when they are cooked, already cooked, they
have to be eaten within 24 hours, after that, you can, actually, when you cook them, you can leave
in the fridge, for about 24 hours, maximum 48 hours, otherwise, they'll lose the quality and yes, if
you defrost the product, if you haven't..
Alicia: Which you're not meant to do!
Luis: Yes, which you're not meant to do, please, ha, but if you've left it outside and it's
defrosted...you can well, we suggest you would be able to refreeze, to put it back into the freezer,
but it will lose the shelf life, for only a couple of days, three days, you don't leave it in the freezer,
like forever. The idea is when you purchase, you get your Cheesebuddies, put in the freezer then it
lasted, it lasts up to six months in your freezer and when you're going to cook them just get the
required amount, put them on a tray, leave some space in between, they'll expand, and leave the rest
in the freezer, then, that's it, then, you can eat within 24 hours. Because after 4 hours they'll get
hard, they lose the crispness, you'll have to put back in the oven, or even in the microwave for only
a couple of seconds, 5 seconds to lose the hardness, if you leave outside after cooking the product
after 4 or 5 hours, or even 24 hours then you put back into the microwave or the oven for a few
seconds, and well, and that's it, we don't recommend refreezing.
Alicia: We were talking, a bunch of friends, everybody who I've tried them on has loved them,
really liked them.
Luis: Really? Oh, great!
Alicia: We were sitting around the table, eating them, and thinking, what you could do, you know
how you sometimes you see at weddings, people who do those profiterole stacks, a croquembouche,
you know, the sweet ones, with the chocolate, you could do a savoury stack, of these, put together
with melted cheese, you know as a sort of a centrepiece for a table. As an hors-dourve, or
something. Have you had any recipes ideas, what utilities? They're great with soup – what have you
used them with?
Luis: Ah- great, that's a very good question, because when I was a kid, every single canteen, every
single school, offers to those kids some exactly what we are doing here, those Cheesebuddies, every
single, because in Brazil, you can find in every single restaurant, every single, well, school, every
single bakery, every street corner...
Alicia: It's a staple!
Luis: It's a staple exactly, well, like everyone knows, it was created 50 years ago, in Brazil, so
everwhere you can find, so you can imagine, we eat, them with a variety of things. In the
restaurants, it's served as entree, as starters before the meals. With schools, it's served in a bigger
bun, and some ladies, some school ladies open up a little bit, put some ham, some bacon, some even
cheese, and offer to the kids. With soup as well. Usually with, we eat them with a unique cream
cheese in Brazil, but it's similar to the Philadelphia one,
Alicia: Cream cheese, yeah.
Luis: Yes the creme cheese, yes.
Alicia: That must be very nice with that too,
Luis: Yes, yes, yes, but in Brazil we've got one very, a bit a bit creamier...a bit, then here we realise
that in Brazil we don't have Vegemite, heh, an we love it with Vegemite.
(Laughter)
Luis: We found that garlic and butter goes beautiful, it's one of my favourites
Alicia: Be nice as a sort of a garlic bread, wouldn't it?
Luis: Ah, yes,
Alicia: Toasted, with a bit of garlic butter in there and uh..
Luis: Yes A few minutes in the oven –
Alicia: I'm hungry already, and I've had breakfast! Talking about the children, I saw on the – at
least the old packet, not sure if it's on the new one, it says “ School Canteen Registered”
Luis: Yes!
Alicia: What does that mean?
Luis: Good question, that means we got
the assessment to get into the schools to be
able to offer to the schools in W.A so
every...
Alicia: So it's a healthy choice,
Luis: Yes, is a healthy choice, exactly, for
it's relatively healthy, it's a healthy snack,
let's say. If you for a small kids, the little
ones, School Canteen Association recommends for them to eat three Cheesebuddies each, for the
little ones, so they are able to find some in schools already nowadays.
We've got, we are offering, we are supplying to about 50 schools in W.A. 50 Schools, only 50
schools out of 900.
Alicia: Still, it's a start, isn't it?
Luis: Yes, exactly. Yes, our aim is to supply to every single school to offer to all of those kids as
well, another choice, great choice for them too, it's makes me, remind about when I was a kid.
Alicia: Happy memories?
Luis: Happy memories, happy memories, exactly, exactly
Alicia: Eating cheese-bread at school. Ah, well, is there anything else you'd like to say to the
people, out there on the Internet, right the way across the world, Sydney, to the U.S, to beyond, this
is going Out There, Luis,
Luis: Ah-ha great!
Alicia: What do you want to say to the people?
Luis: Well, first of all, to thank you very much, Alicia for the potential,
Alicia: My pleasure
Luis: Thank you! - for us to express what we think, we started this business, as we said, with love
and we are going to keep doing it the old fashioned way we've got to offer everyone a good, a very
good quality product, and we are still of course, small business, so we could need all of your help,
your support, for us to grow and that's why we are here, because of people like you, Alicia and like,
that's why we are here we are getting some good feedback and are able to keep moving.
Alicia: I hope so, we wish you every success!
Alicia: Thanks once again to Luis for inviting me to the factory, and sharing with us the story
behind one of Australia's most exciting – and delicious new businesses!
Images Copyright 2010 Cheesebuddy Food Supply, and are used with permission
Interview and transcript Copyright 2010 Alicia Smith.