#IKUNA REDDI SKIN#

This proved to be the spur she needed, and she quit her job to dedicate herself not only to finding local sources for her baked delights, but also to making her creations available to the wider public. Photo: LDR / Suppliedīut when she left Sydney, where she had been working in investment fund management, and moved back to Auckland to take up a senior marketing role at Fisher & Paykel, she found it much harder to access the necessary ingredients to maintain her dietary needs. I've always baked, as my mum is just an amazing cook, so I started just baking all this stuff.'Ī sample of Pauline Fotu-Moala's baking.

#IKUNA REDDI SKIN#

'I got rid of flour, sugar and dairy, and started eating wholesome foods, and I found it improved my gut, my skin and my energy levels. Michelle Potoru, meanwhile, is the operations manager and a director of the Papatoetoe Food Hub, which takes unwanted but usable food and turns it into delicious cafe meals at an affordable price.įotu-Moala's step into the world of catering began with her own health struggles, and after seeing a naturopath, she realised her diet was part of the problem. Pauline Fotu-Moala runs Ikuna Taste, a plant-based dessert business operating out of the Ōtara Kai Village, offering cakes, slices and cookies made without refined sugars or gluten. The pair now play key roles at two Auckland Council-backed food havens in Ōtara and Papatoetoe. The compelling factor behind both women's gamble was a desire to see their fellow South Aucklanders get better access to healthier and tastier food choices. One gave up a career in the world of investment banking, while the other, as a single mum to five children, chose to take a leap of faith with a burgeoning social enterprise selling rescued food. Pauline Fotu-Moala at her Ikuna Taste store, left, and Michelle Potoru at the Papatoetoe Food Hub.

Ikuna reddi