We are delighted to feature Maria from Roar CordialĀ in this episode of The Whole Circle. Maria is inspirational, full of life and one of the most giving people we have ever met.

Maria fills us in on her journey into creating her own natural cordial range. We discuss how Maria grew up in a family where food was sourced from the land, and food was just that – real food. It wasn’t until she had her firstborn, where she saw her daughter’s severe reaction to sulphur after consuming dried apricots. Her little body broke out in red hives and this marked the beginning of Maria’s journey into additive and preservative free living.

Being a chef, she didn’t just stop at removing additives and preservatives from her family meals but wanted to go one step further in creating her own cordial range, after realising there was no natural cordial product available on the Gold Coast. All of her delicious cordial flavours are based on high-quality whole fruits and botanicals.

Let’s discuss how your body goes through different responses to additives

Do you find that you used to really enjoy that smooth glass of red wine at the end of a hard work week, and now all you get is a migraine? It’s funny how our bodies sometimes tell us that enough’s enough! Perhaps your treat would be some mouth-watering cheese and crackers, or a bowl of ice-cream, but now you get a reaction of some kind – headache, itchy skin, restlessness etc. These reactions are all consistent with eating additives and/or preservatives.

Maria reminds us just how toxic additives and preservatives are, and the need to make more conscious food choices. Coming from an upbringing where vegetables were grown in the garden, and food sourced from the land, it’s very clear, in her eyes, how ‘modern’ convenience food is creating so much disease.

The long journey to making a natural cordial

Maria talks about the many challenges she has faced in creating a natural based cordial, especially in preserving the fresh fruits so they don’t spoil.

Ultimately, Maria overcame these hurdles by returning to her family’s heritage. Being an Armenian, but born in Iran, her cultural background involved particular traditional food offerings, which greatly influenced the production process of her cordial range. This has allowed her to blend exotic spices and herbs into her fresh fruits. For her, it’s all about going back to the source, rather than adding in synthetics.

Maria strongly believes that once she’s established a great flavour in her cordial, there’s no need to combine additives and colours, in order to reach that fluorescent cordial colour we are so used to seeing in the supermarket.

She candidly talks about the common frustrations of everyday supermarket experiences, where she simply wants to shake the person in front of her at the supermarket belt, for wanting to buy food that shouldn’t even be classified as food! Rather than getting caught up in emotion, she chooses to focus on the education. When it comes to recognising just what is in the food you’re buying, and asking yourself if you really want that in your body. Maria believes that if you don’t understand an ingredient, then you shouldn’t be buying it (and we couldn’t agree more)!

A strong focus on top quality fruit

How far does your food really travel before you’re able to consume it? All the seasonal fruits that can’t be obtained locally, have all travelled an immense distance to reach the supermarket stand. Then it might sit in your fridge for a few days before being eaten. With this in mind, Maria personally drives to meet the farmers where she sources her fruit from and introduces herself. To her, it’s all about researching, building rapport, knowing exactly where her produce is coming from, and cutting down travel time.

It’s her passion for keeping her business within Australia that we love, but also the fact that she is supporting local, family operated farms. We can’t help but notice her strong values and integrity when it comes to the entire process of creating her cordials.

Glass over plastic

Another incredible step that Maria has taken, is using only glass bottles for her cordial. She is a strong believer in educating our children about the effect of plastic on our eco-marine systems. She is leading by example as a parent and a business partner.

Maria talks about what steps she’s taken to eliminate plastic and create a reusable, recyclable product, which in turn becomes part of the solution to sustainability. You’ll hear about her unique view on recycling, where just one small step has the power to create a positive shift and a ripple effect.

Maria’s cordial flavour range

  • Raspberry JamĀ -Made from pure raspberries with a dash of lemon
  • Wild Wild Raspberry – Whole simmered strawberry and infused Madagascan vanilla bean
  • Passionfruit– Whole pulps of passionfruit and a splash of lime
  • Cool Mint– Fresh lime juice and fresh mint, along with lime peel for added zing
  • Plum Pudding– High in antioxidants, Davidson plums mixed with a cinnamon twist
  • Pineapple Paradise– QLD pineapples, with refreshing mint tones

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