Brisbane Broncos player Ryan James is showing off his skills beyond the footy field with BSKT Native, a health foods range featuring native ingredients and Aboriginal art.
Along with former footy players Greg Bird and Selasi Berdie, the proud Bunjalung man has created an Indigenous range under BSKT (pronounced as 'biscuit') Wholefoods, with a goal to bring the ancestral knowledge of Indigenous foods to a wider market.
"Nutrition is a big part of what we do as athletes and being an Indigenous football player, I realised the need to be able to try and promote healthy living, not just for Australia, but Indigenous Australians," James said.
"The first people of Australia have a known history of living in union with their land. To add the Native range [to BSKT Wholefoods] and to be able to promote this and try and get it out to mob was something that was extremely important to myself and Greg."
Traditional flavors
Bush ingredients like Davidson plum, finger lime, strawberry gum, and Old Man Saltbush feature in a range of vegan superfood bars, granola, and chocolates, locally manufactured on Yugambeh Country, Gold Coast.
"Dark chocolate and salt seems to be a good mix and we thought it was a nice twist on words as well, because dark and salty is myself and Greg," James laughed.
The Broncos prop hopes the brand will be able to give back to community soon and fund solutions to help several areas within Aboriginal communities through his not-for-profit, the Ryan James Foundation (RJF).
Ryan James want to promote healthy Indigenous foods to the Australian market. Source: Supplied
"[Once RJF reaches DGR status] we will aim to look at giving to Indigenous circular economies, which means that we can go out to community and figure out where they need help — if that's in the medical systems, in the schooling, in their sporting systems, or towards lore," the 30-year-old told NITV.
Behind the artwork
To combine Indigenous food with art, the NRL player teamed up with proud Wiradjuri woman and Gold Coast artist Katrina Graves to design Native wholefoods range packaging.
Admiring his family friend's work over the years, he asked her showcase connection to food, health and wellbeing.
"I've always been encouraged to practice my culture and to teach others about our history and stories," Ms Graves said.
"Art is such a powerful tool. But it's also a big part of our culture. This is how we tell our stories and how we educate people."
The Bunan to Muran artist said she jumped at the chance to collaborate with James as she resonates with the company's values and loves they've included native ingredients in their foods.
Katrina Graves' designs are used on the BSKT packaging. Source: Supplied
"The opportunity to work with the BSKT team allows for my art to tell a story about the land we live on, making this an incredibly rewarding project to be part of."
Three key artworks are used in the BSKT Native collection: New Fire — inspired by traditional burning and First Nations Peoples' deep connection to land; Belly — reflecting food source; and Waterhole, which represents coming together as a community and looking after one another.
James said he knows the significance of being a positive role model for young Indigenous kids and can't wait to see where his new venture goes.
"Perks of being a rugby player and being an indigenous player as well has given me an opportunity to create something like this and to go out there and show Australia how important it is to use Indigenous businesses and Indigenous ingredients, and hopefully show Australia and the world how good it is."
