Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eli Vedral. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eli, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

In the age of social media, the visual aspect of the dessert experience has taken center stage. As a result of this trend, I fear the actual pleasure of eating a cookie is being overshadowed by its social media post-ability.

I aim to dispel the notion that delicious and visually-appealing desserts are mutually exclusive. As a professional baker and graphic design major, I find the fusion of baking and art particularly fascinating. I view each individual cookie as a work of art. A creation that looks amazing — but also tastes amazing.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

It’s Eli Vedral here — the owner, founder, and baker behind Kookaburra Cookies. All of my cookies are “strumble” cookies. Strumble™ is my take on the streusel-y, crumble-y topping you often find on muffins (which is easily the best part). I took that concept, upgraded it, and fused it with my favorite dessert to create strumble cookies.

The idea for Kookaburra Cookies first came to me as a teenager in college while studying abroad and working at a restaurant in downtown Sydney, Australia. One of my favorite things to do was try hole-in-the-wall eateries and unique dessert shops. I was shocked at how prominent food fusion (or the combining of foods that do not traditionally go together) was. I tried novelties ranging from sushi cheeseburgers (exactly what you think: cheeseburgers wrapped in rice and seaweed) to banana-hazelnut-chile gelato (think sweet, nutty, and spicy). Experiences like this completely changed the way I thought about food, and, more specifically, how I thought about baking.

I returned to the States and launched Kookaburra Cookies soon after. I named my business after the Kookaburra — an iconic bird native to Australia — as a nod back to where I originally had my business idea. Also, Kookaburras are known for spreading joy and making people smile. I want to channel that same energy through my cookies.

While my kitchen is located in Omaha, Nebraska, I’ve just recently begun shipping cookies nationwide. You can order cookies from my website — www.KookaburraCookies.com. You can join the strumble-cookie-loving community by following @KookaburraCookies on Instagram and Facebook.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

I am still heavily involved in the baking process of every batch of cookies. The quality of my cookies is my utmost priority. I like to think of them as more resemblant of a Parisian croissant than the mass-produced cookie you find on the grocery store shelves.

I develop (and continue to develop) all of my recipes from scratch, myself. My cookies are just how I like ‘em: soft on the inside, a little bit crunchy on the outside (ahem, thanks to the strumble), jam-packed with unique flavors and textures, and delicately balanced with a hint of salt. Each six-ounce strumble cookie uses high-quality ingredients, is hand-formed, and requires over 24-hours to prepare. All of my cookies are only ever made-to-order. From the moment I pull a pan of cookies from the oven, I want to get them in customers’ hands as quickly as possible. To be honest, my cookies are a bit high-maintenance…

I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, my parents strictly enforced a one-after-school-snack rule. I can vividly remember sprinting off of the school bus and straight to the pantry where I faced the most important decision of the day: would I choose a granola bar, a pudding cup, or a piece of fruit for my one after-school snack? The issue was: none of these options were enough. I was never satisfied.

Surprisingly, neither of my parents bake… like at all. One day, after remarking that I wish we had homemade chocolate chip cookies, my mom (likely also in a state of butter-y, sugar-y deprivation) eagerly replied that I could make some if I wanted. I soon discovered that, if I were to bake homemade cookies, I could sneak spoonfuls of cookie dough AND eat as many cookies as I wanted because there was no way to enforce the one-snack-rule. My world was forever changed.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I started Kookaburra Cookies as a Division I student-athlete. Running on both the cross country and track teams while being a full-time student, made operating — let alone growing — a business quite challenging. When I wasn’t running 14-miles or jumping over hurdles, I was writing an eight-page paper on the cultural impact of 1950s Irish film. With the little time I had left, I was baking cookies. As all entrepreneurs know — a business requires so much more than a mere product or service. There’s branding, marketing, supply-chain management, financing… the list goes on.

For me, being resilient meant showing up whenever I could, however I could; sometimes it meant baking at 3 am, sometimes it meant having no social life, sometimes it meant skipping class to fulfill orders. I had to be ready, at all times, to jump whatever hurdles came my way — whether business hurdles, academic hurdles, or, you know… actual hurdles.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.KookaburraCookies.com
• Instagram: @KookaburraCookies
• Facebook: @KookaburraCookies
• Twitter: @KookaCookies

Image Credits
Personal Photo, Photo #1 — Sara Turman-Vedral Photo #2, Photo #3, Photo #4, Photo #5 — Eli Vedral