The House of Native Foods
Native Botanical Brewery
- Erina. Darkinjung Country, NSW, Australia
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Native Botanical Brewery seeks funding for working capital to sustain and expand operations. The loan will cover kitchen produce, bar stock, ingredients and COGS for upcoming batches, rent, and a deposit for the brewing equipment currently in use. This investment will ensure continued production, enhance customer experience, and support local employment while promoting Indigenous culture and sustainability through uniquely crafted native botanical beverages.
- 0 Lenders
Committed
- 12 months
Loan Period
- 0%
Interest Rate
- BACKGROUND
Loan summary
Native Botanical Brewery (NBB) is seizing a rare opportunity to establish its own brewing facility after eight years of collaboration with Six Strings Brewery. With Six Strings relocating to a larger venue, their existing brewery in Erina has become available, presenting NBB with a cost-effective chance to scale production. This loan provides essential working capital to secure the space, maintain operations, and sustain growth over the next three years. Aligned with NBB’s mission to celebrate Indigenous culture through sustainable, native botanical beverages, this investment ensures the enterprise can continue expanding its impact while fostering economic opportunities for First Nations communities.
Borrower's mission
Corey has been dedicated to the native food industry for over 20 years, consistently creating opportunities to showcase Indigenous ingredients and support his community. His journey—from a bush food bakery and kids’ nutrition program to Meat Brothers and innovative café models during COVID—demonstrates his adaptability and commitment to impact-driven business.
Over the past 16 months, Native Botanical Brewery (NBB) has gained significant traction at Carriageworks and The Rocks Markets, proving strong market demand, with standout moments like selling 85 cartons of LM Ginger Beer in a single day. Corey’s long-term vision is to maintain NBB as a family-run enterprise, with his daughter managing the bar and his father leveraging his operational expertise to support growth.
To scale, Corey is actively securing funding, including a $300K working capital raise through Lend For Good, and has already secured a $250K production contract with Six Strings. A business case and risk assessment are underway to ensure NBB’s long-term sustainability. By expanding operations, NBB will continue to promote Indigenous culture, create economic opportunities for First Nations people, and introduce native botanical beverages to a wider audience.
The activities funded by this loan are helping to achieve the above Sustainable Development Goals as defined by the UN.
Intermediary's experience with impact enterprises
Worthwhile Ventures (WV) has been assisting First Nations businesses through a network of pro bono partners since 2016. The pro bono partners expertise covers all areas of business such as IT, Legal, Accounting, Human Resources and Marketing. These businesses have been primarily privately owned. In the last 12 months we have focused on First Nations Social Enterprises which require a lot more assistance to become successful. Our programs are built around business growth by providing realistic and achievable strategies. We not only provide information but also assist in the implementation to give the enterprises the greatest chance of success. Currently WV assists 31 enterprises across a wide range of industries. Some of these include food, clothing, education and construction. Due to the different industries, resources and business experience of the business owners our programs have to be very flexible and individually tailored. The focus is on the needs of the business and not generic business advice. The goal is to provide realistic and achievable strategies that have measurable outcomes for the business. Also we don’t simply give information, we assist in implementing it. By utilising this strategy most engaged businesses have an increase in turnover with some seeing significant growth. WV will hopefully see our first $1 million turnover business this financial year.
- IMPACT
Impacts and how they are measured
The loan will generate significant social and environmental impact by strengthening Native Botanical Brewery (NBB), a First Nations-led business committed to promoting Indigenous culture, sustainability, and economic inclusion. By securing working capital, NBB will expand production, secure its new brewery space, and create stable employment opportunities—particularly for Corey’s family, with his daughter managing the bar and his father providing operational leadership. Beyond employment, NBB champions Indigenous economic empowerment by sourcing native ingredients and collaborating with First Nations suppliers, supporting the growth of the native food industry. Environmentally, NBB prioritizes sustainable sourcing and waste reduction, ensuring responsible production practices. The impact will be assessed through: By securing this loan, NBB will drive long-term social and economic benefits, serving as a model for Indigenous entrepreneurship and sustainability in the beverage industry.
Ready to lend?
This loan is not currently accepting subscriptions, but we invite you to check out some of the other live loans on the platform. In order to participate in loans you must be a registered lender on the LendForGood platform. If this is your first time lending with us we’ll guide you through the process to first get registered. Thank you for lending your passion!