From Necessity to Nourishment: The Sunnybrook Story and Its Continued Growth in the Health Food Industry

Gluten & Dairy Free, FODMAP, Vegan, Paleo, and all your dietary needs. Sunnybrook Health Store has over 20 years of experience offering expert natural health advice, as well as having the largest selection of specialty health products in Australia.

Established as a traditional, family-run Health Store in 1997, owner Geoff McCormack saw there was a growing need in the community for gluten-free and other free-from products. Growing up with an egg allergy gave him the passion to source good-quality alternatives for people with intolerances to wheat, dairy, soy, egg, and nuts (the list goes on!), at a time when there weren’t many options available.

” As Coeliac disease, gluten intolerance, and other food sensitivities became increasingly prevalent, I wanted to establish a space where people could come and shop without having to feel like they were missing out. I also wanted to foster an environment where people could come and seek advice they could trust from holistic healthcare practitioners – naturopaths, nutritionists & homeopaths –  just to name a few.” Geoff McCormack – Owner Sunnybrook Health Store

The business expanded beyond its humble beginnings and in 2006, they moved into a larger location in Ormond, Victoria. They established their online store to provide access to their range for customers from all over the World (and they mean it, they’ve even shipped products to Antarctica!). They now stock over 7,000 products in-store and online from hundreds of leading brands, as well as supporting local Australian producers. They take great pride in offering a wide range of quality products for all your dietary needs. They continue to expand their range daily with the best products for those with sensitivities such as Gluten, Dairy, and Nut and for those on lifestyle diets like low carb, vegan and vegetarian, and low fodmap.

Sunnybrook has a passionate team of natural health professionals including Naturopaths, Nutritionists, and Homoeopaths on staff, to provide support and advice to customers

*excerpt from SunnyBrook health Store website.

I see online that it was a need for egg free alternative foods that fuelled your desire for Sunnybrook, and now with over 7,000 unique products, including Diego’s, do you see the Sunnybrook branch expanding into another retail store?

As a business we continue to grow and are very proud that we can provide this much needed service to our customers. At this stage we are happy where we are in Ormond whilst offering our online store services

Do you have anyone else in the family working at Sunnybrook?

At Sunnybrook, everyone who works here is family and we like to treat our customers the same way. We are very happy to have such a beautiful community around us.

What is it that drove you to supplying Diego’s?

Geoff remembers sharing a stand with Diego’s at the Gluten Free show in Melbourne about ten years ago! He was impressed by the range and thought the staff were very friendly too!

We have seen a surge in people advocating for their health and wanting to be healthier but that wasn’t always the way. With Sunnybrook being established in 1997 when food intolerances weren’t always catered for, and health wasn’t always top of mind, have you seen a shift within the last decade in consumer habits trending towards what you’re selling?

Yes, early days we were just starting to see customers looking for allergy-friendly foods. As the years have gone on these needs have increased and we really pride ourselves on our ability to provide something to support everyone on their health journey, no matter what that journey is.

What do you think it is that keeps customers coming back to your wonderful flagship store and online?

Our lovely helpful staff plus our incredible variety of products to suit every need.