Driftwood comes together at Bells Beach

A CHANCE encounter between two strangers at Bells Beach has seen the birth of a new local brand, Driftwood Goods.

For someone juggling a longlist of occupations, including filmmaking, podcasting and photography, the idea of taking on another project seemed out of reach, but somehow John Teague made responsibility sound appealing.

Having launched a range of candles last month with his American business partners Leo Silberman and Alexia Theodorakis, John says the brand’s early success has exceeded his “little expectations”.

“It (Driftwood Goods) was a chance encounter with my partner (Leo), really. We met at Bells Beach. He was in Melbourne for a wedding and drove to Bells to have a look. We got to talking and it turns out he lives around the corner from where I was studying in New York (The Neighborhood Playhouse),” he says.

“We just ended up having a lot in common. I was the last one in the carpark and as he was leaving, he asked me ‘would you be interested in helping me out with a business idea?’”.

From there, the pair began fleshing out Leo’s idea. Within a few months, a business plan was in motion. “It was one of those things where you just keep saying yes,” says John.

“It wasn’t an a-huh moment for me. We have been through some testing periods, but to be honest, I went into this with no expectations. It’s exceeded my little expectations.”

What John loves most about his latest project is its capacity to showcase local talents.

A self-described creative, the businessman hopes to expand Driftwood Goods into a must-have lifestyle label.

“Being a creative myself, I have a lot of creative friends. I really like the idea of art infusing functionality,” says John.

“There are so many talented people that live in our little area, and I love the thought of being able to collaborate and bring people together. We’re looking to diversify, but we’re not sure how it’s going to look just yet.”

Driftwood Goods’ first line of candles are available online in four scents – vanilla and caramel, Persian lime and lemongrass, Melbourne coffee and Australian sandalwood.

The design for Driftwood Goods’ flagship product was created by Torquay illustrator Sophie Brain. The brand will continue to seek local talents to formulate its product, while also contributing five per cent of revenue to marine conservation organisation, Sea Shepherd.