Cooee Cookies launch in Drakes across South Australia

Cooee Native Superfoods has launched Cooee Cookies in Drakes supermarkets across South Australia, expanding the brand's retail presence through the independent grocery chain.

The move follows Cooee's acquisition of Adelaide-based Creative Native Foods and strengthens its ties to a state where several of its native ingredients are sourced and processed.

Drakes operates more than 60 stores across South Australia and Queensland and employs about 6,000 staff. Access to that network gives the Indigenous-owned food brand broader supermarket distribution in one of its key supply regions.

Cooee's 160-gram family packs will be available in Drakes stores statewide. The range includes Nan's Jam Drops with Davidson Plum, along with Choc-Chip and Wattle seed varieties.

South australia

Cooee has been building its presence in South Australia since acquiring Creative Native Foods. The business gave it an Adelaide base as it expanded the sourcing and processing of native ingredients in the state, including wattle seed and muntries.

Drakes Grocery Category Manager Jacky Webster said the agreement aligned with the retailer's support for local suppliers and independent brands.

"As a family-owned business, Drakes has always backed suppliers who offer something distinctive and locally connected," Webster said.

"Cooee is an Indigenous-owned brand with strong South Australian supply links and a genuine focus on community impact. We are pleased to bring Cooee Cookies to our customers and support a business that shares our values."

The rollout gives Cooee wider access to mainstream shoppers in South Australia and adds another retail outlet for products made with native Australian ingredients.

Supply chain

Cooee founder and chief executive officer Terri-Ann "Tezzi" Daniel said South Australia had become central to the company's operations.

"South Australia has become central to our supply chain and our story. Through Creative Native Foods, we are rebuilding Indigenous grower partnerships and increasing the proportion of native ingredients sourced from Indigenous suppliers. Expanding into Drakes strengthens that momentum," Daniel said.

Daniel said the company sees retail growth as closely linked to its supply strategy.

"We want retail expansion to mean something. It is about creating commercial success that flows back to the community, to growers and to regional South Australia. Partnerships like this allow us to do that," she said.

The strategy is aimed at building a native food supply chain with stronger Indigenous participation. In practical terms, broader supermarket distribution is intended to support demand for ingredients supplied by growers and processors linked to regional communities.

National reach

The Drakes launch adds to Cooee's expanding national store base. Its products are already stocked in Woolworths Metro, Ampol Foodary and selected IGA outlets, and are also served on Qantas flights.

The expansion highlights how products made with native ingredients are moving into larger retail and consumer channels beyond specialist outlets. For Cooee, South Australia now plays a dual role as both a sourcing base and a retail market.

More broadly, food brands built around native Australian ingredients are seeking shelf space in mainstream supermarkets while trying to maintain direct links to growers and processors. In Cooee's case, the latest supermarket expansion is tied to Indigenous grower partnerships and regional supply in South Australia.