Q & A with Brad Jervis from No Toast

Tell us a bit about what NO TOAST is?

NO TOAST is a ‘PALEO‘, GRAIN-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE , LOW-CARB granola, used as a breakfast cereal with a splash of your choice of milk/yoghurt, almond and cashew milk for a dairy free option, or some fresh fruit. Also great as a snack, over a salad or as a topping for your favourite crumble…NO TOAST is a nutritious and healthy way to start your day and will give you sustained energy without leaving you feeling bloated.

NO TOAST has 2 PALEO mixes both high in protein and unsaturated (good) fat, but LOW in saturated fat, carbohydrate; sodium and sugar.

Challenge is very low in natural sugar (<2g) and contains no fruit so is suitable for those taking a Challenge!

+Honey adds cranberries and a touch of unprocessed honey to give it a hint of sweet.

Where did the concept come from?

My wife and I made a lifestyle choice to eat paleo/primal and being a cereal eater and not always wanting or having the time to cook at breakfast, I was unable to find a replacement that suited our likes and needs. I started playing around with a few different granola recipes until I had something that suited my tastes! That was in January 2012, by April this year, 2014 I felt I had it just how I like it, and just how many others like it, so it seems…NO TOAST came purely by accident, after handing out more samples than I was keeping myself. The name NO TOAST is about better options than eating toast for breakfast (grain-free), something that suited our sense of humor.

+Honey was the first granola I was making for myself and family, before a request to modify the mix by a friend who instructs a grit fitness group, to suit a Challenge. The Challenge was for a NO Carb, NO dairy, NO sugar, NO fruit, eating plan for 21 days…hence Challenge.

NO TOAST came about on our way home from catching up with friends. My wife had brought along my new Challenge mix which they loved, and as I had already been handing out requested samples on the original one on a regular basis, my wife turned to me and said I think you should produce this. That discussion happened just after Christmas in January this year (2014)…3 months later, we had named NO TOAST, designed and finalized labels & packaging, modified our kitchen, gained all necessary lab testings and council approvals. A quick family holiday was snuck in…Then NO TOAST was officially on the market by the end of April and now here we are.

What sets it apart from the competition?

There are many muesli’s and granolas that are gluten-free on the market, but very, very few are grain-free and have the distinctive great flavour of NO TOAST, the feedback that continually comes back…

What can consumers expect from NO TOAST?

There are many groups that can benefit from not just paleo, but reducing their grain/gluten intake for fitness, general health, medical, mental, young and old. Through NO TOAST I would like to make the wider public aware that there are tasty alternatives to the “traditional breakfast” of cereal/grain based foods.

There are also very limited breakfast options for paleo eaters eating out. I would like to address that by introducing NO TOAST to forward thinking cafes as a clean, healthy, grain free option on their menus. Several have already made that change…

I don’t wish to push paleo on people, I just believe all can benefit from reducing their reliance on grains as a primary food source.

I do have other ideas kicking around in my head, but will focus on the beginning for now as it is only early days…so one step at a time.

What are some of the hurdles of being a local based business?

The availability and cost of quality ingredients sourced locally and subsequent freight costs if it is not available or cost prohibitive in Perth.

At present paleo is still a new way of eating and living, and at times you come across consumers, retailers or foodies who have not heard of or believe it to be a “fad diet”. There have been a number of attacks of late on the paleo style of eating, but I think that is always going to be the case when something upsets the status quo and there is a shift away from usually consumed items on shelves.

I do believe the tide is turning and there is an increasing sector of the population who are informed, aware and want to know about the food they eat and where it comes from.

Favourite Perth spot?

Being a boatie/fisher/diver and family person I could not say anything else but Rottnest.