Mum and daughter behind Thermomix Australasia success

Grace Mazur was visiting a friend in Poland when she discovered a kitchen appliance that would ultimately change her life — and that of Australians.

Grace Mazur was on holidays in her native Poland when she discovered a kitchen appliance that would ultimately change her life — and that of Australians.

The mother-of-one, who lives in Perth, was visiting her father in 2001 when she was invited over to her school friend’s house for dinner.

“She had cooked a whole feast and I was like ‘Oh what is happening’,” Grace, 61, recalled.

Knowing how time-consuming it is to make Polish food, let alone a full spread, Grace’s interest was piqued and that is when she was first introduced to Thermomix — branded as one of the most advanced kitchen appliances on the market today.

It acts as a food processor, steamer, mixer, grater and kneader.

“I ended up purchasing one for about $1500 and brought it back home to Australia,” Grace told news.com.au.

Together with her daughter Bianca, who was just 17 at the time, Grace began making a bunch of different things from butter, to bread and even soups.

Shocked by how it worked, how much time it saved and its healthy food benefits, Grace, a former mining consultant, decided she wanted to launch it in Australia after discovering it had never been sold here.

Powerhouse mother and daughter duo Grace and Bianca Mazur.

“There was nothing like it here and I could see how much it changed my friend’s life — I was sold on it instantly,” she said.

The busy mum was running her own business in the mining industry at the time and said she was “sold instantly” after realising how much time it saved her and wanted to make sure everyone could have the same experience.

Grace then spent the next 12 months securing the Australian and New Zealand licensing deal from German parent company, Vorwerk International.

“There was no one selling it in Australasia so there wasn’t that support. They knew if they gave us the licence we wouldn't have any support,” Grace said about the challenging year it took to secure the licence.

“It took them a while but they eventually decided to give it to us.”

Powerhouse duo Grace and Bianca, 39, went on to help make Thermomix one of the most-loved and must-have kitchen appliances in Australia and NZ, selling 600,000 units respectively.

“The beginning was very challenging as everyone was saying ‘it is too good to be true’,” Grace said.

Grace launched the appliance in Australia and NZ back in 2001 after obtaining the rights to become the sole Australian distributor from Vorwerk International.

However, one household at a time and one consultant at a time, the brand began to grow.

“I was only 17 when mum started it up and put everything into it. We had to run it from the house so we converted the lounge room into a meeting room for the consultants and the kitchen was where we developed the recipes,” Bianca said.

The business operates like Tupperware or Avon, where the food processors are demonstrated by consultants.

“It is not one of those things that could just sit in a shop as people wouldn’t understand what it is and how to use it,” Bianca said.

Bianca also saw an opportunity to help grow the business and went on to study to become a dietitian.

She now plays a key role in recipe development under her official title of executive director of The Mix Australia & New Zealand.

To date, Grace, Bianca and the growing Thermomix team have developed 70,000 recipes that coincide with the appliance.

Now, 600,000 households have the appliance.

It acts as a food processor, steamer, mixer, grater and kneader.

“From the beginning we had the vision and drive that it will make a difference in households,” Grace said.

“It started to pick up after four and half years where people began to chase us to join the team.”

The appliance also made its way on to MasterChef after producers contacted Grace during the first season of the TV show — which also added to its popularity

In 2021 alone, sales almost hit $141.5 million, pushing the company’s post-tax profit to almost $14.3 million.

The duo started the brand from their family home; holding all cooking demos in the kitchen, and meetings in the lounge room.

But the humble mother-and-daughter duo are less focused on figures and more focused on how many lives they can change with the product — and also using their platform to support fellow women.

“I am a very goal orientated and competitive but the income was never a drive for me. It was more how many households we could get into and now thinking we have 600,000 households using Thermomix around the country is amazing,” Grace said.

Bianca, a mother-of-three, added it’s also about the business opportunities the company promotes.

“We have got almost 3000 consultants throughout Australia and New Zealand and to hear the stories about women who have now gone into leadership positions or managing positions and what the have learnt with us — when you hear that side of it is touching,” Bianca said.

And, for those wondering how well he mother-and-daughter work together, they would be quick to tell you “very well”.

“We do argue, but in a good way,” Bianca laughed.

“I think the great thing about working with family which some people may not realise is you can actually be more open and honest and say it how it — but it doesn’t end up in a grudge,” she said.

“It helps lead to better results because you can see different points of views.”

Now with the introduction of the Thermomix social network — Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the Recipe Community — word is spreading even more rapidly.

One head office in Perth has now expanded to include offices in Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland, New Zealand.

And that’s not it for the entrepreneurial mother-and-daughter duo who have now dabbled into the cleaning sector with the launch of Kobold.

It is a cordless two in one vacuum developed by the makers of Thermomix.