Robyn Foyster
The first time Cassandra Spies experienced frozen yoghurt was when she visited the US with her family. She quickly realised there was a gap in the market for healthy frozen yoghurts.
In 2009, Cassandra, who has a Bachelor of Science in Food Technology, launched Twisted Healthy Treats in a local shop in Bondi, Sydney.
Now, a decade on, the all-natural, authentic lite ice-cream and frozen yoghurt company has proven so successful, it is available in 1,800 supermarkets across Australia and in 80 per cent of school canteens.
Not one to shy away from competition, Cassandra has set her sight on becoming Australia’s leading frozen dessert manufacturer. She has also started to export her popular range of products overseas with containers being shipped to the United States and other lucrative markets for the first time.
None of this, Cassandra told Game Changers host Melissa Doyle, would have been possible without her all-female executive team, all of whom have been with her since the beginning. That, and a tasty product which has the additional benefit of being good for you.
The frozen yoghurts are sold in take-home tubs and single-serve cups at Woolworths, Coles, Harris Farm Markets, Costco and more. Twisted Healthy Treats is also committed to local manufacturing and operates a state-of-the-art facility in Alexandria, Sydney.
But running this business isn’t just all about the frozen yoghurt for the company’s founder and CEO Cassandra Spies, it’s also about empowering women to work in business. Her all-female, family-run management team is a tribute to that and they have remained loyal “through the ups and downs” all businesses go through, for the last ten years.
“My management team is all-female and it’s not because they’re female that they have the job,” says Cassandra. “They have the job because they’re the best ones for the roles.”
Twisted Healthy Treats products are low in calories, contain no added sugar, and they are also tingle the taste buds.
“We take an incredibly tasty product and we make it healthy”
Cassandra Spies, Founder and CEO of Twisted Healthy Treats
On top of that, Twisted Healthy Treats is dedicated to using the best Australian produce. Using 100% Australian dairy and fresh fruit via local Aussie farmers is supporting a community that is very much in need of it. Cassandra believes that our “farming industry, and the methods we use, produce the best tasting dairy and the most delicious fruit in the world.”
Combine that with the billions of probiotics and you’ve got a tasty dessert that also does a power of good for your body. The probiotics in the products can withstand stomach acid and therefore remain alive in the digestive system which in turn strengthens and supports the “immune system, your digestion and your protein utilisation”. It also helps to lowers blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels.
For Cassandra, this year is all about growing and expanding their range of products and marketing it to customers around the world. 2020 has already seen the launch of its latest product Twisted Licks – the 99% juice ice block without any added sugar.
“2020 is about overseas expansion which is really exciting and is something that we’ve been working on for the last two years,” adds Cassandra. “We’re just about to send our first container of product to the US.”
Find out more about Twisted Healthy products on their website: https://www.twistedhealthytreats.com.au/https://www.twistedhealthytreats.com.au/
