thistle be good - a brief history...

Thistle Be Good was established in 2001 and started in a small home kitchen in the beautiful McLaren Vale wine region of South Australia.  We manufacture a unique range of dukkahs and dry spice marinades known as ‘The Rub’.   


Thistle Be Good was the brainchild of a certain Jacqui Wilson, a Scot who arrived in Australia in 1999 on her world travels. Upon reaching Adelaide 9 months later, she sought accommodation with a local whom she had met whilst travelling in Turkey. After being shown the sights of South Australia’s Riverland district by Toby Good, her handsome host, something beyond friendship grew quickly and the rest, as they say, is history!  The two travellers married 6 months later in November 2000 and so Australia welcomed its newest arrival!  Fiercely Scottish, Jacqui chose the ‘Thistle’ – being her national flower and her adopted surname, ‘Good’, as the perfect synergy!  

Prior to the patchwork of vineyards being established throughout the McLaren Vale region, almond orchards abounded. An iconic local chef, Russell Jeavons, introduced dukkah into this area back in the 1980’s with his inspiration behind its production coming from what remained of these original plantings.  Dukkah is now an established part of our local culture. 

Jacqui started off making around a dozen tubs of dukkah a week to sell in Hugh Hamilton’s stunning cellar door in McLaren Vale.   That was six years ago and she now manufactures a whole lot more than 12 tubs a week!   

With the birth of a baby boy in May 2006, husband Toby decided on a career change. Departing from an established Cellar Door role within the local wine industry, he joined the fold of Thistle Be Good to take up the anchor position. To date, all three Goods are happy, thriving and enjoying the challenge of continuing to grow their successful food business. 

In 2002 a real need was recognised by a group of local small food producers (thanks mainly to the newly established Willunga Farmers Market) for a commercial kitchen that could be shared by different businesses.  In true Willunga style, ‘The Community Kitchen’ opened and has been instrumental in the growth of Thistle Be Good.  The kitchen is available to anyone who agrees with their basic principles eg clean food, no chemical or artificial additives and as much local produce used as possible. 

Jacqui Good is a director of The Community Kitchen. 
 

Thistle Be Good was awarded as 2005 Food Producer of the Year by the
McLaren Vale Business Association on 5th November 2005!

 

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