Two South Australian food brands born out of one family’s kitchen table experiment are now sharing shelf space with the country’s biggest names in the supermarket world.
This week, JNR Food Co. and Bowlsome officially landed at Coles Local The Avenues in St Peters (the state’s first “fancy Coles”), giving Adelaide families a new way to stock up on the wholesome, additive-free meals that are fast becoming a household staple.
“What started as a way of helping my son manage his chronic hives has become something so much bigger,” says Founder Danielle Elia.
“We’ve always believed families deserve better than preservative-packed options, and now we get to bring that to even more households.”
Danielle’s journey began at home, where a late-night crash course in label-reading and additive-free cooking turned into Bowlsome, a wholefoods salad and bowl concept built on seasonal, fresh ingredients. From there came JNR Food Co, a frozen ready-meal brand created with paediatric dietitian Anna Ritan, designed especially for kids (from toddlers to constantly hungry pre-teens).
The meals are designed to be balanced, low in sodium, and packed with vegetables, without the preservatives, seed oils or hidden sugars that usually come with convenience food.
And since launching in May, JNR Food Co has grown at a pace Danielle didn’t anticipate. “JNR has been so warmly received and has exceeded every hope we had for the brand,” she says.
“We’ve expanded into almost 50 stores across SA, grown into interstate deliveries, and even outgrown our kitchen.”
At Coles Local The Avenues, shoppers will find six of JNR’s family-friendly staples, including mild chicken curry, beef ramen noodles, and spaghetti bolognese. All have been tested and approved by Danielle’s toughest critics, her own kids.
Bowlsome’s offering is even broader, spanning cold bowls, fresh salad pots, heat-and-eat meals, and even snack packs designed for quick, nourishing fuel.
In typical Coles Local fashion, there will also be tastings, with shoppers invited to sample both ranges across October, with both Danielle and resident paediatric dietician, Anna Ritan, doing free tastings on Saturday 4th October from 10am – 1pm. Plus, a live radio broadcast and free giveaways are also scheduled for the day.
While her products are already on the shelves in Foodlands, Romeos, Tony & Marks, OTRs and House of Health, Coles Local is another “pinch-me” moment for the Adelaide mum-turned-entrepreneur.
“One thing we know for sure about South Aussies is that we love supporting local,” she says. “To now do so in a major national retailer like Coles is a huge thrill!”
With The Avenues’ Coles Local now open, you can browse the delicious JNR Food Co and Bowlsome range and take your pick of the locally loved meals that promise “convenience without compromise” – alleviating the stress of weeknight dinners and keeping the whole family nourished. A much-needed helping hand.
“It feels completely surreal to see JNR on shelves and in homes,” Danielle says. “Our mission of seeing kids and families across Australia be well nourished is rapidly taking place.”
What: Bowlsome JNR Food Co land at Coles Local
Where: Cnr Payneham Road &, Nelson St, Stepney SA 5069
Free tastings:
Sat Oct 4: 10am–1pm – JNR Food Co
Bowlsome free tasting dates to follow
For more info, visit:
JNR Food Co website here.
Bowlsome website here.
@jnrfoodco @bowlsome_au
