Perth herb king: the single dad packing 50,000 punnets a week
When Robbie Sinclair arrived in Australia with three children, he had no idea he was planting the seeds of one of Western Australia's most remarkable fresh produce success stories.
The Scottish-born entrepreneur, who now runs Herb-Ivore Fresh Herbs out of Perth Markets, was not long off a strawberry and raspberry farm in Pemberton when he made a decision that would change his family's future.
Armed with nothing but industry experience, Mr Sinclair began approaching local IGA retailers in 2017, quickly identifying a gap in the market for consistent, high-quality packed herbs.
What followed was years of grinding work that would test even the most hardened operator. School drop-offs before sunrise, delivery runs stretching as far as Beeliar and afternoons at the Markets.
Evenings spent pre-packing herbs at the kitchen bench, invoices sent only once the kids were in bed.
All of it as a single father, with his children's education and stability his non-negotiable priority.
"Giving up was never an option," he said.
Starting as a sub-tenant occupying small vacant spaces around Perth Markets, Mr Sinclair steadily built relationships with wholesalers and industry peers until the Markets became the undisputed heartbeat of Herb-Ivore's operations.
A decision to introduce custom branding for retail customers — a small touch, but a point of difference, helped the business stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
A decade on from arriving in Australia, the results speak for themselves.
Herb-Ivore now supplies more than 100 customers across Western Australia, packing around 50,000 punnets of fresh herbs each week. The figure surges to 110,000 during the Christmas rush.
The business operates two farms of its own and maintains strong wholesale partnerships across the Perth Markets site. And his son Thomas has now joined him in the business.
"Herb-Ivore's success is deeply rooted at Perth Markets," the company said.
"A story of perseverance, pride and a father's determination to build something lasting for his family."
Mr Sinclair is now based at Perth Markets, one of dozens of tenant businesses operating out of the wholesale hub that underpins much of WA's fresh produce supply chain.
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