OUR STORY
Hi, my name is Lian, I have been in Australia for more than a decade and now happily married with two adorable and cheeky boys.
I have entertained the thought of starting my own small business for a long time now. I have had so many ideas of products I could potentially venture on, but one day, as me & my sister were having lunch, we excitedly opened a bottle of Laing from Natúk that we took from our last trip home. A reminder of home, a treat for us, every single time.
Bicol's Best AU came about out of my love for food from back home -Bicol (one of the 17 regions of the Philippines). Over the last few years, satisfying my cravings and bringing these food over to Australia has been made easier (thanks to Natúk).
One of my bestfriends introduced me to Kuya Arnold, Natúk's founder. We had talked online and finally met in person when he personally delivered a box of Natúk we ordered to take back to Australia when we were recently back home. We talked about the prospective of working together and eventually sealed the deal of becoming their sole reseller in Australia. I consider him a mentor, an inspiration.He became instrumental in the realization of Bicol's Best AU. (Thank you, Kuya!)
From there, I thought, why stop at Food? I have always been into bags, hats, footwear and home wares made of native materials.
Bicol is known for its tradition of weaving & creating locally available native materials into beautiful artisanal crafts. And they are just starting to be more recognised outside of Bicol due to the push for sustainable products. I went on to search for the best handicraft suppliers. One supplier led me to another, and from there, backed up by my ever-supportive spouse and our family, the idea of Bicols Best AU was born.
Bicol's Best AU will be a way for us to be able to contribute to Bicol, from afar. We are honoured to showcase the best of Bicol through all the incredible Bicolanos who have put in all the hardwork into their products for Bicol to be recognised in the international scene.
At Bicol's Best AU, our mission is to promote cultural awareness, create livelihood opportunities and encourage Bicolanos to forge ahead by promoting and delivering quality products that are made & sourced from Bicol.