Freyja Tasci is the mama-maker behind Apiwraps, Australia’s original beeswax wraps. After starting on her kitchen bench and selling at markets in Byron Bay, and now based in Adelaide, Freyja has spent 10 years perfecting, educating and distributing beeswax wraps around the country in an effort to eliminate plastic cling wrap from every home in Australia.
Apiwraps started because Freyja needed something she couldn’t find. And it turned out thousands of other families needed it too. It’s so exciting to know all these households are ditching the clingwrap and making a difference in their homes. We chat to Freyja about her story…
First of all, tell us a little bit about your family and kids.
We’re a multi-cultural family, while I’m Anglo-Australian, my husband grew up in Turkey, he came to study in Sydney for university. We spent our twenties living as ex-pats in Southeast Asia and Dubai, but when our children were ready for school, we really wanted them to grow up here in Australia.
Where did the idea for Apiwraps come from and how did you go about starting the business?
When I was home that first year with my baby girl, I studied online to finish the last few subjects of my undergraduate degree in literature. One of my compulsory subjects was Colonial Poetry and while I was reading drover’s poetry my eye was caught by the description of using oilskin to keep things safe on the road.
I had been doing everything I could to keep my house chemical free because my baby had an anaphylactic allergy, and I knew that micro-plastics and synthetic chemicals would exacerbate her body’s delicate immune system. I wanted her to have the healthiest home I could possibly create so I was buying organic veggies and introducing them so carefully. It was heartbreaking to see the fresh food wilting and spoiling when I couldn’t eat them fast enough though! I had oilskin jackets when I was a child, and I know they’re made to be waterproof but not sweat inside. The idea that oilskin would be a good was to store my veggies just wouldn’t let me be, it would be waterproof but still breathable – which is exactly what they needed.
I couldn’t find pieces of oilskin online, but I had time and some beeswax in my craft box, so I tried making it myself. Little did I know I’d have made over 70,000 metres of it ten years later!
You grew up in NSW but more recently moved to Adelaide, and your business is still located in both spots. Is that hard and why the big move?
We moved our family to Adelaide three years ago. It’s been a great decision. We wanted to live in a small city where we wouldn’t need to drive a lot and all the interest and diversity of city life was available. Adelaide didn’t disappoint!
Apiwraps was already well established when we moved, with a warehouse and a full operations team, while I’d come and visit every month for a few days. It worked well until the lockdowns made it hard to travel! We were fortunate to manage the pandemic by cutting all of our expenses and sitting tight. We had great supply arrangements in place and focused in on those, while many of our smaller retailers were really suffering and not able to open for months at a time.
Now we’re in a whole new chapter of the business with a warehouse in Adelaide metro.
Aldi approached you to stock Apiwraps as a special buy. No doubt this was a game changer. Tell us about this experience.
Aldi has been an amazing company to work with right from the start. They have such high ethical standards and insist on progressive solutions in every aspect of their supply. I’m really proud to be working with them. For Apiwraps it’s meant we’ve been able to put on some amazing art collaborations, our August designs are going to be gorgeous!
We’re exploring Homes & Holidays in this issue. You spent many years pre-kids travelling. Tell us your favourite overseas location?
I’ve spent a lot of time in Thailand, studying, holidaying and living with little kids. For a unique and absolutely authentic Thai holiday you can’t beat Krabi in the south. There’s an abundance of nature and national parks and amazing beaches, without the package holiday feel of Phuket or the touristy Samui. There are little hidden gems around every corner and the spectacular limestone karsts frame every picture. It’s magical.
And your favourite family holiday destination?
We’ve been loving Yamba on the NSW coast. The combination of calm beaches and surf beaches, great restaurants and funky little shops has a feel like Byron did in the 90’s. It’s the kind of place we can go back to again and again.
What’s your favourite thing in the kitchen, besides Apiwraps?
My cast iron cookware. I love that my frying pan is already over 40 years old, and I know there are no nasty chemicals coming out of them into my family’s food. They make my kitchen homely and cosy too.
What’s your favourite thing about being a mum?
I love seeing these little people emerge with their unique ways of seeing the world. It’s fascinating to get to know them.
And finally, where can we find Apiwraps?
Apiwraps are stocked in healthfood stores around Australia and our next Aldi Special Buy is coming up in August.