Ugly Duck Fine Foods

In the heart of Brisbane, Ugly Duck Fine Foods is revolutionising the Australian condiment industry with a beautifully simple mission: transforming imperfect produce into extraordinary flavours while fighting food waste.

Founded by Michelle Mascher, this innovative company brings together her German heritage of traditional jam making with a passionate commitment to sustainability. Drawing from her family's time-honoured preservation techniques, Michelle crafts award-winning fruit pastes and salsas that prove beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Each small batch at Ugly Duck begins with a rescue mission. The team works directly with Australian farmers to source 'ugly' produce – perfectly good fruit and vegetables that would otherwise be rejected by retailers simply due to their appearance. In a country where 795,000 tonnes of fruit are rejected annually at farm level, Michelle saw an opportunity to make a difference.

Every jar from Ugly Duck's kitchen tells a story of transformation. Working exclusively with fresh, Australian-grown ingredients, Michelle creates her distinctive recipes just as her grandmother taught her – free from preservatives, artificial colours, and flavours. This commitment to pure, honest food has earned Ugly Duck numerous prestigious awards for quality and taste.

What started in 2015 as one cook's mission to reduce food waste has blossomed into a testament to sustainable food production. By saving these perfectly imperfect ingredients one jar at a time, Ugly Duck Fine Foods proves that with passion, creativity, and purpose, today's food waste can become tomorrow's delicacy.