Kunara People – Kerrie

Our staff are more like family than colleagues and most of us have a bunch of hidden talents and interesting tales to share! We love to shine a spotlight on who they are and how they got here…

Kerrie MacLaren, affectionately known as ‘Kez’ to her friends here, was born in a small country town 30km South West of Beaudesert, surrounded by rolling hills, dairy farms and the Great Dividing Range. Growing up in this beautiful rural landscape gave Kerrie insight and great respect for the farming industry. Kerrie witnessed first-hand as farmers around her struggled through drought, worked tirelessly to wring a living from the land and committed their lives to providing us with what goes into our bellies! This insight gives Kerrie great compassion and drive for working with local growers to support their business and help them create a livelihood. Kerrie has built many long-lasting and successful relationships with farmers at a local, state and national level. Several big brands today made their humble beginnings on Kerrie’s Fridge Department shelves!

Whilst Kerrie has a wealth of industry experience to bring you the best that our suppliers can offer, she also has a personal health journey which offers her perspective on just how importantly food can impact our health. At just 11 years of age, Kerrie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and has always searched for better ways to manage this condition. She has a huge passion for food – especially locally sourced and organic – and confesses that she’s learned so much from working at Kunara. Kerrie gets a kick out of helping others to achieve their health goals and change the way that they think about food.

Kerrie has provided Kunara with a massive 13 years of service and has excelled in the role of Fridge Manager since 2005. During this significant time, Kerrie has also become the proud mother of three beautiful children and is grateful to be teaching them how to look after themselves in a holistic way. You may find her eldest daughter dancing around some afternoons and voluntarily filling shelves around the store with staff (she wants a job but is still a tad young!)

If you recognise Kerrie in store, please say hello and don’t be shy to offer any acknowledgement too – our Store would literally not be the same without her. From your friends and ‘family’ at Kunara, thanks for your amazing work Kerrie but more importantly, thanks for just being YOU!