“Fetch & Feast” and the Future Entrepreneurs

Eager to work, but tired of not receiving so much as an acknowledgment to his job applications with businesses in Nambour, Palmwoods and Woombye, 14-year old Jonah Brooks decided to take the matter into his own hands and start up a business, enlisting the help of his younger brother, 12-year old Isaac.

by Judy Fredriksen

Jonah and Isaac are no strangers to hard work. With their parents both being shift workers – mum is a nurse and dad is a policeman – the boys have to muck in with the housework at home, helping with the washing and cleaning, preparing meals for the family, looking after the pets, and getting themselves to and from school every morning and afternoon on the bus.

Both boys are typical lads of their ages – they love playing sport, while Jonah plans to study aviation to become a pilot when he leaves school, and Isaac wants to become a builder.

Acknowledging that the boys are both “very athletic and sporty”, mum Sammy Taylor is keen to help her sons develop good social skills and savvy business ethics to carry them through life.

And so while Sammy and Jonah were visiting the Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge at Sippy Downs one day, obtaining some assistance with their two recently adopted kittens, an unbelievable opportunity arose through a chance meeting with a generous benefactor.

“While me and mum were there, we came across the owner of the place that was giving away treats to the refuge to help with the dogs that needed to be adopted,” explains Jonah.

Sammy picks up the conversation from Jonah, saying, “I got chatting to him, because I thought, what an amazing man; he’s come in with just boxes and boxes of all these dog treats for all these dogs that were obviously awaiting homes.”

In casual conversation, Sammy shared with the gentleman her frustration about Jonah not being able to pick up a part-time job, despite his enthusiasm and effort.

“So he offered the boys an opportunity to buy some of his products at wholesale price and maybe build their own business.

“I thought … this is such a great idea! So I sat down with the boys and said, is it something you would consider? Both were really excited about it. Before we made any decisions we went to his factory. We had a chat and a walk around and from there it’s kind of all just happened.

“Within the first week, Jonah had a name for it which was ‘Fetch & Feast’. From there he got Aunty Tara to help him with the business cards and the logo.

“It was kind of just meant to be … we were meant to be there on that day and we were meant to meet this gentleman. It’s pretty incredible.

“I think as a parent, you want their first job to be a really good job, to have a good experience in their first job. For me it was a no brainer. They can work around their school and their sport.

“They can make it what they want it to be. If they want it small, they can continue to have it small, if they want to make it bigger and expand as they get older they can.”

The benefactor, a former butcher with contacts to various meatworks, ethically sources his goods which generally comprise the offcuts of kangaroos, cows and pigs that otherwise would become waste. The scraps are cut to size then, without the use of additives, are dried in an air fryer before being packaged up and sent to supermarkets and other distributors.

Under the name of Fetch & Feast Brooks Brothers, Jonah has set up a Facebook business page so consumers can purchase the dog treats online, with the boys offering flexible delivery options. And without the massive overheads of the major supermarkets, the boys can offer the same healthy dog treats for a fraction of the price of their competitors.

Included in their range of treats are cow toenails stuffed with cooked mixed mince, which Jonah says is a bit “out there”, but is definitely a winner with dogs. For little dogs and those pooches that have gourmet tastes, there is chicken jerky, while the evergreen favourites like pigs’ ears and roos’ tails are also available.

It’s only been around four weeks since the boys began to set up their enterprise and already the treats with the Fetch & Feast logo are on the shelves of at least one local business.

Both boys are extremely grateful for the support given to them by the owners of the Eudlo General Store, where those who stop by for breakfast at their café with their fur baby can expect their four-legged friends to be spoilt with a Fetch & Feast treat.

If you would like to know more about Jonah and Isaac’s Fetch & Feast products, visit them on Facebook ‘Fetch.and.FestBB2023’ or send them an email: fetch_and_feast@outlook.com