Meet the Siperstars: Prue from Blue Kahunas, Newcastle

One of the best bits about being a business which has an eco-minded ethos is getting to work with other businesses who share the same vision as you! Lucky for us, most of the venues who choose to serve their drinks with Raw Straws turn out to be seriously cool venues.

In the first edition of "Meet the Siperstars" we chatted with Prue from Blue Kahunas in Newcastle, to hear about the inspiration behind the tiki bar she founded with her husband, Byron, and their sustainability journey (including a pretty cool hack with pineapple skins!).

Check it out below…

When did you open Blue Kahunas?

We opened Blue Kahunas December 2018 

What was the inspiration behind the bar?

My partner Byron and I both love Rum and the atmosphere tiki bars create being inclusive, fun & relaxed. We decided to take the plunge and create a space we could be creatively in charge of.

What are you most proud of when it comes to your business?

We are most proud of opening our own business and being in control of choosing sustainable practices, creating our own cocktails, having an inclusive space & just having fun with our customers.  

What inspired you to add Raw Straws to your menu?

We originally saw a post on the Sydney Bartender Exchange, Byron & I had been discussing for a long time how we were going to tackle straws, we had been given complimentary paper straw but found they were too soggy after a while and we just did not want to delve into plastic. Trialing the Raw Straw went so well, with most customers being super curious, it looks incredible in tiki cocktails and is highly sustainable.

What has the customer reaction been, and how have you addressed any concerns from people used to receiving a plastic – or paper – straw?

Customers for the most part have been super curious and very positive about using straws made from wheat, we have had a few people a little sceptical but taking the time to talk them through the positives of choosing this alternative everyone is usually on board.

 What else have you done to make your business more sustainable?

We currently compost, we have a system with a group called Feedback Organic. They grow vegetables, herbs and fruits they collect our food compost every week to fertilise their farming. It feels good giving back to the land. We have also just been in talks with Green Cane and are about to switch over to their paper towel, toilet paper etc. these guys make plastic-free products made using renewable bamboo and recycled sugarcane, limiting the destruction of soft-wood forests that are used in traditional low value paper products. 

My next step is to find a producer that has affordable/sustainable cleaning equipment such as spongers, mops or chux wipes etc.

What’s one fun or surprising eco-trick that has been put into use in your business

We make sparkling pineapple water with off cuts of pineapple skin rather than just chucking this into the compost, skin from most fruits/veggies have a lot of the flavour and protein. We boil the pineapple skin for a couple of hours with water once cooled down we add a small amount of sugar than carbonate, this is super tasty!

And finally…What’s one piece of advice you would give to a business who wants to take steps to reduce their environmental impact? This could be for owners or for staff who want to inspire owners to make a change

My advice is, if it seems overwhelming just start with one thing at a time. No one is perfect but taking steps to decrease your footprint on the environment is beneficial no matter how big or small.

Thank you so much again to Prudence and the team at Blue Kahunas for embracing seriously sustainable sipping with us and The Raw Straw!

If you are visiting Newcastle do yourself a favour and add a delicious cocktail pit stop at Blue Kahunas to the itinerary. You can find them at 146 Hunter Street

Open 5pm - Midnight Tuesday - Saturday

For more details head to https://www.bluekahunasbar.com/

or check them out on Instagram @blue_kahunas