From Naturopath to National Brand: The Rise of Narelle Plapp

Narelle Plapp (Turner 1992) began her career as a naturopath with a simple realisation: many of her patients did not fully appreciate the impact of wholesome food on their health. While working in a health food store during her studies, she seized the chance to buy the business, combining her practice with retail. To support her patients, she created two nutritious muesli recipes, long before healthy cereal options were widely available, which quickly proved popular.

What began two decades ago with Narelle measuring ingredients on her kitchen table has since grown into Food for Health, her own muesli company. After spotting a gap in the market for large-scale muesli production, she went on to establish Grain & Bake.

Today, Narelle supplies not only her own label but also major names including Sanitarium, Nestlé and Coles – producing around 100 million bars and 6,000 Tonnes of toasted cereal each year. Reflecting on her journey, Narelle admits she never imagined she would one day be running a 24-hour manufacturing business, but her passion for health and food made it possible.