Burns and bars up for biz awards

WE Bar None founder Ellen Burns is nominated for three Telstra Business Awards.

With her own original recipes, Ms Burns manufactures healthy energy bar and cracker snacks in Ballarat, and was the first Victorian enterprise to make home-compostable packaging a part of products.

She is a contender in three categories of the Awards; accelerating women, promoting sustainability, and progressing Australia.

“I’ve been nominated for the past four years, but there’s a minimum turnover, so my business was too small to qualify until this year,” she said.

“To have my biggest year in business, and qualify was very exciting, after trying to run a business through COVID and all the pivots and changes that come along with that.”

Within the accelerating women category, Ms Burns has had the chance to not only promote her work as a female sole trader, but champion the women she employs and collaborates with.

Her home compostable packaging, and the zero waste and carbon neutral nature of We Bar None, have been celebrated as part of the promoting sustainability category entry.

But Ms Burns is most energised by the progressing Australia section.

“That’s a big national award that they change the theme of every year. I get to talk about how I’m a leader, am driving change in the industry… and things I do in the community including the Hidden Orchard,” she said.

“The Awards are about the recognition and are the most recognised national business awards in Australia, so to be a finalist would be really exciting.”