At our Ballarat Health Food Shop, we love stocking products that are good for gut health, simple to use, and suit various dietary requirements. So when we discovered Gorgeous George Probiotics, we knew it was a range that our customers would love.
We sat down with Adam Court—co-founder of Gorgeous George—to find out more about the business and their amazing range of probiotic drinks, dips, and condiments.
Go Vita Ballarat: When and why did Gorgeous George Probiotics begin, and what were your first products?
Adam: We believed that the Farmer’s Markets in Victoria were an amazing place for customers to support local farmers and producers. We could see that gut health products were not available at most of the markets and were keen to have the opportunity to not only sell direct to customers but also spend the time to help educate them.
Our first products were sauerkraut and prebiotic dips. We first took them to markets in 2017. My brother and I had the idea for the business, and it started with just me working in the business. I did all of the production and took the products to two markets every weekend.
Go Vita Ballarat: Where did the name 'Gorgeous George' come from?
Adam: My middle name is George and my wife’s name is Georgia. We wanted to create a fun character for us and our customers to enjoy. Most people just call me George now which I find very funny!
Go Vita Ballarat: How many employees does Gorgeous George have now and what is involved in running the business?
Adam: We now have 3 people working in the kitchen with me. We produce and package our entire range every week to ensure we have a fresh product. We attend 14 markets each weekend (thanks to a small army of gun stallholders) and we make sure all of our retail stores in Melbourne and across Victoria are well-stocked up.
Go Vita Ballarat: What is your favourite Gorgeous George product?
Adam: My favourite product would have to be our Green Olive Pesto. I am absolutely addicted to olives!
Go Vita Ballarat: What Gorgeous George product do your customers love the most?
Adam: Our most popular products would be a 3-way tie: Ginger Beer Water Kefir, the Red Pepper Pesto and the Kimchi Kraut.
Go Vita Ballarat: What makes Gorgeous George Probiotics different from others on the market?
Adam: All of our products are made in small batches. We believe it is integral to maintaining a high-quality and authentic product. All of our products are preservative and gluten-free.
Our Kombucha is fermented traditionally. We do not take any shortcuts like some of the big brands do. We use unprocessed raw cane sugar to feed our cultures. This is a far better method compared to the artificial sugars that the big companies use to claim they sell a "sugar-free" product.
Go Vita Ballarat: Where can people buy Gorgeous George Probiotics?
Adam: We stock our products in various stores around Melbourne, and we attend multiple markets all over Victoria. We have an online store that delivers to most of Victoria.
For Ballarat, your best option is at the Ballarat Farmers Market on Zoo Drive, Lake Wendouree on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. And of course, Go Vita Ballarat stocks almost our entire range!
Members save 10% off all Gorgeous George products every Super Day.
Go Vita Ballarat is open Monday to Friday 9-5:30 and Saturday 9-3.