How Blak Brews Built a Global Business From Geelong

Troy and Cerisa Benjamin never intended to build a tea company. Before launching Blak Brews in 2023, Cerisa was exploring the idea of creating essential oils. Hoping to help bring the idea to life, Troy connected her with a tea master in Geelong, where the couple live, to learn more about botanicals.

The more they learned, the more the conversation drifted from oils to what native ingredients could do in a cup. “While they were chatting, I had one of those lightbulb moments,” Troy recalls. “I thought, let's forget about the oils. Let’s start selling tea.”

Troy felt that much of the local tea market revolved around either wellness products or familiar imported blends, with relatively little attention given to Australian native ingredients or contemporary tea culture. To him, tea deserved the same appreciation Australians have developed for coffee: something people could learn about, share and celebrate. 

“When I found out tea was the second most consumed beverage in the world, I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “There are incredibly passionate tea drinkers out there.” 

Like many Australian small businesses, Blak Brews began with an idea and a spare room. The couple blended tea in small batches, packed orders by hand and sold to friends, family and anyone willing to give it a try. As word spread, demand grew quickly, driven by their use of locally grown tea leaves and native ingredients such as finger lime, lemon myrtle and pepperberry. Then, less than a year after launch, the business hit its biggest growth moment yet.

Troy appeared on – and ultimately won – the inaugural season of Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Australia, introducing Blak Brews to audiences across the country before the series was later released internationally.

The exposure transformed demand almost overnight. “I walked straight into Aus Post here in Geelong and said, ‘We’re gonna be on TV soon. I think I’m gonna be semi-famous for a bit. What boxes do I need? How many tape guns do I need?’”

He says the staff laughed, but also helped him prepare for what was coming. As Blak Brews expanded into a warehouse operation, Benjamin found himself making regular trips back to his local post office for packaging supplies and shipping advice.

“We scaled knowing the deliveries at Australia Post were reliable and the infrastructure was there," he says. “We’ve moved locations since then, but the service has stayed consistent.”

 That partnership has remained important as the business has grown from local online orders to shipping across Australia and expanding overseas. When Food Stars aired internationally, orders began arriving from the United States, Canada and New Zealand – and Blak Brews was ready.

 “We’ve never really used anyone other than Australia Post,” Troy says. “Whether it’s local or international, it’s been seamless.”

Today, the Geelong-based business ships globally while Troy continues working with mentor Ramsay and pursuing partnerships across tourism, banking and aviation. But growth is only part of the ambition.

 As a First Nations-owned business, Blak Brews hopes to help broaden conversations about Australian food and the place of native ingredients within it, while building a brand that feels distinctly Australian.

 “We want to be the next Hills Hoist or Vegemite; an iconic brand that Australians can be proud of.”

 This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Australia Post.