{ K A T E W E I S S , F OU N D E R O F ‘ TA B L E O F P L E N T Y ’, S H OW S H OW LOV E T R I U M P H S A L L }

Words Samantha Kirton

FROM ADVERSITY TO OPPORTUNITY; A TALE OF LOVE

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The bigger your motivation or purpose, the greater your fuel.

At least this is the thinking behind the success of Kate Weiss,

founder of Table of Plenty, that blossoming brand you would

have seen gracing the shelves of your nearest supermarket.

With her foot firmly planted in the competitive food sector,

she is motivated to create a future for her daughter, to provide

jobs and to give back to the community.

Though adept at juggling her busy schedule, Kate knows the

importance of taking time out to replenish and recharge and

shares with us her purpose, motivations and development of a

brand Australians have come to know and love.

What does your range include and how has it captured the Australian marketplace?

Our gluten-free range includes muesli (Crunchy Chia Gourmet

Blend), our delicious mini rice cakes with pure Belgium

chocolate in dark chocolate, milk chocolate and triple berry

yoghurt and our range of meal inspirations (Pistachio Dukkah,

Lemon and Herb Dukkah and Spicy Dukkah).

I am a passionate ‘whole-foodie’. The flavour, ingredients’

integrity and natural attributes of all our products are at the

heart of our food philosophy ‘from my table to yours’. I refuse

to make anything I wouldn’t feed my own family and I believe

the best nutrition comes from good food that is minimally

processed and shared with our friends and family, nourishing

both our bodies and hearts.

Customers can always rely on Table of Plenty products

to deliver on taste and health. We have three pillars to our

business – Passion, People and Purpose:

Passion: Doing what you love (I’m passionate about healthy

food).

People: Care and community (we care about our families, staff,

suppliers and customers’ wellbeing).

Purpose: Working for something greater than yourself (we

create jobs for people with a disability, engaging them to help

in the packing and logistics of our products).

How did Table of Plenty come about?

Table of Plenty was created at a time when my life was

thrown a big challenge. My first child Amy was born with a

disability. Nothing can prepare you for a life event such as

this and I struggled to come to terms with this emotionally,

psychologically and in my day-to-day life. I was on an emotional

rollercoaster for many years, especially with no diagnosis until

she was aged 5.

It was out of this turmoil that I looked deep inside and turned

adversity into opportunity. I truly believe that our challenges

are often signposts to what we need to address in our lives.

Through this journey, I reconnected to my passion for life and

my creativity through my love of food and my research into

Y U M . | K A T E W E I S S

nutrition. It is my mission to continue making amazing products,

to connect to and inspire our customers to move from surviving

to thriving and to continue to contribute to the community

wherever I can.

How did your life change after the birth of your daughter?

Any parent will tell you that life is never the same after a child

comes along, however with a child with a disability, this is even

more true. Amy has been and is both the biggest blessing and

the biggest challenge in my life.

The work never lets up. Amy needs help with the basics, such as

dressing, eating, toileting and social interactions. She is 14 now,

but that is really just a number as in many ways, she is still a

pre-schooler.

It is quite isolating as a family, as social events and invitations

with both children are rare. It takes exceptional friends and

exceptional children to be able to embrace Amy as she is and

include her unconditionally. This is an area I am passionate

about as I have a vision for a more inclusive society for the

benefit of all.

On the blessings side, she is such an amazing human being. She

is always happy, she lives in the moment and she has a love of

life and people that puts us all to shame. Her innocence and light

that shines from within inspires me every single day.

Do you have any serving suggestions for your range?

If you are gluten intolerant and crave a schnitzel, try crumbing

chicken breast in dukkah before pan frying or baking in the

oven.

Our Crunchy Chia Muesli is wonderful as a topping to yoghurt

and fruit for brekkie.

Mini rice cakes; where do I begin? Straight from the pack, with a

dollop of nut butter or even ice cream sandwiches for a gluten-

free kid’s party treat.

Where can we buy your products?

Our products are available in the major supermarkets (Coles

and Woolworths), in many independent supermarkets, in Caltex

service stations, Chemist Warehouse and we also export to

several countries.

www.tableofplenty.com.au www.facebook.com/Table-of-Plenty www.instagram.com/tableofplenty