Enterprise: Munched
What is their raison d’etre? To help families make healthier lunch and snack choices by offering high-quality, affordable containers that facilitate the safe and convenient storage and carrying of home-cooked meals.
Lindsay Van Rooyen, a busy mum with a full-time job, started her side hustle, Munched, in July 2023, after looking for an alternative to plastic for packing her kids’ lunches and not finding anything suitable on the market. “Many of us don’t realise how using plastic affects us, and it’s scary once you start researching all the harmful side effects that plastic causes,” Lindsay warns. Unable to find a solution, Lindsay did her research and found a supplier whose products are certified 100 per cent food-grade silicone and completely plastic-free.
“Food-grade silicone is not only great to use, but is also great for the environment,” Lindsay explains. “My aim is to help families make healthier lunch and snack choices through offering high-quality, affordable containers that facilitate the safe and convenient storage and carrying of home-cooked meals. And, as we are all about caring for the environment, we only use local companies for our packaging that have the same vision as ours, so all our packaging can be recycled.”
“Food-grade silicone is not only great to use, but is also great for the environment.”
Having found a reliable source, Lindsay initially promoted her products to her friends and her kids’ friends’ mothers and received what she describes as “amazing” feedback about their practicality and quality. “We started our marketing through Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram, and the products are also now available on Amazon and Catch,” she says.
Lindsay recently got good traction through a pop-up store and has branched out into selling her products at Queen Victoria Market and the St Kilda Esplanade Market. Her offering now includes kids’ lunch boxes, Bento boxes, kids’ plates and water bottles, and feeding sets for babies and toddlers. “I have also signed up to sites that bring influencers and brands together to assist with creating content for our brand, which is a huge help when it comes to getting content for advertising on social platforms,” Lindsay enthuses.
With regard to the challenges of running a side hustle while holding down a demanding full-time job, Lindsay works to the adage that ‘if you don’t push yourself it won’t happen’. “This is what keeps me going when I do feel a bit tired or overwhelmed,” she explains. “I ensure that I make the most of every moment I have; for example, on my lunch break I often deliver my packages to the post office, and in the evenings we pack orders and get them prepped and ready so they can get shipped the next day.”
Alongside the health and environmental angles, Lindsay started the business with a view to transitioning to a more flexible lifestyle that would allow her to spend more time with her kids. “Having come from South Africa a few years ago with my husband, we don’t have parents to rely on to help out,” Lindsay laments. “I miss the social interaction of meeting other parents at school pick-ups and drop-offs and other events, so I’m keen to grow the business and make Munched my full-time gig.”
Over time, Lindsay plans to expand Munched’s offering to incorporate a full range of baby, child and kitchen products, with the ultimate aim of becoming a household brand found in every kitchen.
This article first appeared in issue 43 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine
