From Iran to Coles Shelves

By June Ramli

When Gilava arrived in Australia from Iran in 2008, she brought with her more than family memories and traditions — she also brought a deep appreciation for Middle Eastern food and the role it plays in bringing people together.
What began as sharing homemade meals with curious colleagues while working as an IT data analyst eventually evolved into Exotic Bazaar, a growing food brand dedicated to making Middle Eastern flavours more accessible to Australian households.
Starting with three dishes sold at local farmers markets, Exotic Bazaar has since expanded into selected Coles stores nationwide, as well as independent retailers and gourmet outlets. Today, the company offers a range of meal bases designed to help home cooks recreate authentic Middle Eastern dishes with ease.
DailyStraits.com spoke to Gilava about her migration journey, building a food business from scratch, securing a place on supermarket shelves and her plans to expand the brand further.

DS: Tell us the story of how you first arrived in Australia?

I came to Australia from Iran in 2008. Like many migrants, I arrived with practical things in my suitcase, but also with the invisible things you carry from home: memories, language, family traditions and the food I grew up with.
Starting again in a new country is exciting, but it can also feel lonely at times. Food became one of the ways I stayed connected to who I was, while also finding my place in Australia.
Over time, I realised the dishes I had grown up with were not only nostalgic for me. They were also interesting and exciting to people around me. That was really the beginning of seeing food as something that could connect people.

DS: What did you do before starting your entrepreneurial journey?

Before starting Exotic Bazaar, I worked as an IT data analyst. It was a very different world to food production, but it was actually where the idea for Exotic Bazaar first started to take shape. I would bring homemade Iranian food into work at lunchtime, and slowly people became curious. They would gather around, ask what I had made, taste things, ask about the spices and often want the recipe.
At first, I was simply sharing food from home. But over time, I started to notice something. People loved the flavours, but they did not always know how to recreate them in their own kitchens.
That was the little spark. I could see there was curiosity around Middle Eastern food, but also a gap in confidence. Exotic Bazaar grew from wanting to make those flavours easier and more approachable for everyday home cooks.

DS: Why did you choose to specialise in food production? It is a very competitive market.

It is definitely a competitive market, but I chose food because it felt personal and practical at the same time.
Middle Eastern food is rich, comforting and full of story, but for many home cooks it can feel intimidating. The ingredient lists can look long, the spices may be unfamiliar, and people often worry about getting it wrong.
I wanted to make that first step easier.
For me, the opportunity was not just to sell food. It was to make a cuisine feel more approachable in everyday Australian kitchens.
Our meal bases are designed to help people create something full of flavour in around 30 minutes, usually with just a couple of fresh ingredients. It is still competitive, but I believe there is space for products that have real purpose behind them and solve a genuine problem for customers.

DS: How did you get your first break with Coles? Where else are your products stocked?

Getting into Coles was a huge milestone, but it definitely did not happen overnight. We kept knocking on the door, staying persistent and believing there was a place for Middle Eastern meal bases in mainstream supermarkets. When we were eventually invited to pitch the range at their category range review, it felt like the right moment.
What meant so much to me was that they understood the story, not just the products. They could see what I was trying to do: make Middle Eastern food easier, more familiar and more accessible for everyday Australian households.
Coles shared that journey with us and offered to be a platform to help us bring that vision to more people. We will always be grateful for that opportunity.
Today, Exotic Bazaar products are stocked in selected Coles stores nationally. We also sell through our website, independent retailers, gourmet stores and gift hamper businesses. The number of new stores coming on board is growing each week, driven by customer demand.
The next step is to keep growing the Middle Eastern aisle, extend the range and help these flavours cross over even more into everyday mainstream cooking.

DS: How many products do you have in the supermarkets?

We currently have three Exotic Bazaar meal bases in selected Coles stores.They are Persian Walnut Chicken, Moroccan Vegetable Tagine and Tunisian Shakshuka. Each one is designed to make Middle Eastern cooking easier at home, while still keeping the flavour and feeling of the dish. The idea is that customers can create something generous and full of flavour without needing to start from scratch.

DS: What are some new products you are working on?

We are working on a number of line extensions at the moment. One exciting product in development is a new cake kit, which continues our interest in bringing Middle Eastern-inspired baking into everyday kitchens in an accessible way. We are also looking at two new meal bases, because there are still so many beautiful dishes and flavour profiles from the region that we would love to introduce to more Australian home cooks. Our spice range is also being reviewed. We are looking at how we can reimagine it so it feels less like something people buy once and leave in the pantry, and more like something they can confidently use in everyday cooking.

DS: How did you start in business, including your first investment?

Exotic Bazaar started at farmers markets with three Iranian dishes made in a hired commercial kitchen. I still remember the first market. We sold out and packed up early, then came back the next week and kept building from there. At that stage, I was not thinking about supermarket retail. I was just trying to see whether people connected with the food. Then a category manager came to our stand, liked what we were doing and invited us to discuss ranging at his store. That moment changed everything. It made me realise there could be a much bigger opportunity than I had first imagined. Once we had proven that people connected with the flavours and the idea, the first major investment was changing the packaging and shaping the range into something more supermarket-friendly. The products needed to be clear, practical and easy for everyday shoppers to understand. They had to look professional enough to sit beside established brands, while still carrying the cultural story and flavour that made them special. That was when we brought in professional designers, photographers and marketing support to help steer the new range properly.It was a big turning point. We had gone from a farmers market idea to building a retail-ready food brand, and that required a completely different level of thinking, investment and belief.

DS: What are the expansion plans for the new financial year?

The big focus for the new financial year is growth, but in a way that gives us more control over the future of the brand.One of the most exciting plans is to bring production to Ballarat by the end of the year. That would mean a new warehouse, more local capability and new jobs created in the area. For us, that is a big step because Ballarat is home, and being able to grow the business from here means a lot. Bringing production closer also gives us more room to develop new products, respond to customers more quickly and build stronger connections with the people buying and cooking with our range. Alongside that, we will keep building awareness, expanding the product offering and knocking on doors to get Exotic Bazaar into as many places as possible across Australia.

DS: Advice for entrepreneurs wanting to get into Coles?

My advice would be to understand that getting into Coles is not the starting point. It is something you build towards. Before approaching a major retailer, you need to be very clear on your product, your customer, your pricing, your supply chain and your point of difference. It is not enough to have a good idea. You need to show that the product can work commercially and that you can deliver consistently. You also need patience. Retail can move slowly, and there are many steps involved. The other important thing is to know why your product deserves space on the shelf. Supermarkets already have thousands of products competing for attention. You need to be able to explain what problem you are solving, what customer you are serving and why your product adds something valuable to the category. For us, that has always been about making Middle Eastern food easier, more familiar and more accessible for everyday Australian homes.