2019

When most people think about cleanses, they usually think about ravenously sipping on various shades of green juice all day trying to ignore feelings of deprivation. But the Founder of the Merrier, Luke Makepeace has a different type of cleanse in mind for the Australian marketplace– the ‘bone broth challenge.’

“There is nothing more enjoyable than sipping on a warm cup of hearty bone broth and knowing that you are not only consuming something that tastes indulgent but you are also boosting your health while you do it!” Luke explained. “Some people are even switching out their morning coffee with a mug of piping hot broth, which is a much healthier alternative to that caffeine laden latte” he said.

Bone broth of course is nothing new but it has been experiencing somewhat of a comeback. Even our Palaeolithic ancestors started boiling down the bones of the animal after consuming the rest of the carcass knowing the high nutrient content and not wanting to waste even a scrap of their valuable meal. In Asia bone broth and broth-based concoctions’ of different meats have been a staple in most households and a pot of bubbling broth a normal sight in many marketplaces across the region.

Broth is also said to have a number of nutritional and health benefits. Each cup is rich in vitamins, including calcium, magnesium and collagen, zinc, amino acids and, of course its rich in protein and iron.

For Luke, the bone-broth challenge is a gateway for people to a better, more sustainable and healthier lifestyle. “It’s a reset for people from their current diets allowing them to feel rejuvenated and ready to explore alternative nutrient-rich and healthier diets”. His company, the Merrier, is an incredibly values-led Start Up that he hopes will not only help spread the value of the bone broth trend (through direct to customer sales of the weekly bone broth challenge available for purchase through his online platform) but he also wants to initiate a healthier food movement through incentivising customers through sharing credits. Sharing credits will allow his customers to gain credits on the platform every time they get a friend of family member to join the website and the bone broth challenge. Those credits will be able to be used to purchase other items that will also be for sale through his online e-commerce fresh produce site.

At “the Merrier” we really want to elevate the farmer, their place in our food ecosystem and encourage greater access across Australia to real, nutritious and ethically and sustainably farmed food. “Most people know their diets need changing but accessing healthy options at the right price point is incredibly hard for many people— the Merrier hopes to change that” he said.

Luke, who hails from Byron Bay, home to a lot of sustainable farms and well-being-based retreats wants to also leverage the power of influencers to help him on his endeavour to spread the word.

“Through getting this operation at scale we will be able to keep costs down but also ensure the person who invests the most into farming our food gets their due compensation— the farmer! I want to eventually create a more equitable and honest food ecosystem that helps customers engage more directly with where their food comes from, how it was grown and why it is beneficial to their health and nutrition” he said. Luke admits though, the success of his start up vision hinges on the critical mass of people subscribing to his healthier online marketplace and embracing the bone broth challenge. As he says, in the end it really is a case of ‘the more the merrier!’