A recipe for sustainability and indulgence — Q&A with Michael Carp from Kez’s Kitchen

We sit down with Michael Carp, Managing Director of Kez’s Kitchen, to chat about permissible indulgences, supporting the community and how to pick out the perfect snack. It’s a real treat!

What was it about Kez’s Kitchen that attracted you to work there?

The opportunity to work in a family business alongside two inspiring women, my mother Helen and sister Keren (aka Kez).

What are the values that guide Kez’s Kitchen?

We are a very close family, and we see our team, our customers and our suppliers as part of our family. Our culture is very much built around our people, brand and products.

What are FODMAPs, and why should we avoid them?

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly. Some people experience digestive distress after eating them, including my family and friends who inspired us to develop a FODMAP friendly range, we now offer several products that deliver all of the exceptional taste and texture that a Kez’s Kitchen product must deliver whilst being FODMAP friendly.

How does Kez’s Kitchen support the local community?

Aside from providing our community with a moment of permissible indulgence in every bite, as a business and as individuals we see it as our responsibility and our pleasure to support the broader community. One of our fantastic community connections is with Youth Projects, who do amazing work with youth at risk on the streets of Melbourne. We are so proud of the work they do and so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them. This is a partnership that we look forward to strengthening in the coming years.

How has working with Kez’s Kitchen impacted your life personally?

It has been a 27-year journey so far and every day still brings fresh opportunities and challenges. My family has grown up in and around Kez’s Kitchen and so many of our conversations involve our history, our people, our better for you snacks and of course lots of new ideas. It’s hard to separate the family from the business but life balance is certainly something we’ve worked very hard on over the years.

What is your favourite Kez’s Kitchen snack?

It is always changing and it’s lucky that we have so many different products to choose from. It will always depend on the time of the day and my mood at the time, but our new All Natural and Protein Boost Brownie Bars are my latest go-to product, particularly for an afternoon pick me up.

What are three things we should consider when choosing our snacks?

Taste, taste and taste! Why should you ever have to compromise? Whenever we develop a new product, our absolute focus is on its deliciousness and it’s something we are proud of. Our success has come from delivering so many other benefits without ever compromising.

What can we expect to see from Kez’s Kitchen for 2021 and beyond?

Loads of innovation with a focus on better-for-you baked snacks. There is sure to be something new for the Vegans out there too.

W: kezs.com