Our story — Meet Michael
Fenwick is my youngest kid's middle name. He's seven now and has no idea the business is named after him, which I figure gives me a few more years before he tries to claim royalties. I started this in 2021 on the kitchen table in our place in Northcote, mostly because I had four hours a day while both boys were at school and I was sick of the part-time admin work I'd been doing since before they were born. I needed something I could actually build, not just something that fit around everyone else's schedule.
Before Fenwick Supply Co existed, I spent about eight years doing accounts and admin for a small construction outfit in Fitzroy. Good people, flexible hours, but I was billing maybe 22 hours a week at $32 an hour and spending half my mental energy on school pickups and juggling. My wife works full-time in aged care, so the household logistics mostly fell to me. I don't say that as a complaint, just as the context. By 2020 I had a pretty clear picture of what wasn't working and a rough idea of what might.
The actual decision moment was a Tuesday in March 2021. I'd just turned down a catering gig that would've meant three Saturdays in a row away from the kids. That night I mapped out a simple product business I could run entirely in school hours, sourcing kitchen and home goods I'd already been buying and testing myself for a couple of years. I registered MCLAUGHLIN CONSULTING PTY LTD in April, put $4,800 of savings into the first stock order, and listed the first six products through a Shopify store I built over one weekend.
We're based out of a small warehouse space in Brunswick now, about 180 square metres, which is a long way from the kitchen table. Orders go out Tuesday to Friday. I still do school pickup at 3:15. The business turned over just under $340,000 in the last financial year, which is more than I made in three years of part-time admin combined. Fenwick still doesn't know. He's more interested in Lego.
— Thanks for shopping with us. — Michael, Michael Ian Mclaughlin
Journal
Why the business is named after my youngest kid
Fenwick is seven now and still has no idea a cutting board company carries his name.
When people ask about the name, I usually give the short version: it's my son's middle name, it sounded good on a logo, and I was running on about four hours of sleep when I registered the ABN. All of that is true. The longer version is that I started this whole thing at the kitchen table in our old rental in Northcote, about three weeks after I'd done the sums and realised my part-time admin work was paying me less per hour than I needed to feel okay about leaving the boys with my mum twice a week. Fenwick was four. His brother Eli was six. Neither of them noticed I'd quietly started a side project between school drop-off and pick-up.
The first thing I ever sold was a set of bamboo cutting boards. Not because I had some grand plan around kitchen goods, but because I'd bought a set myself, loved them, looked at the margin, and thought: I could do something with this. I sold eleven sets in the first month, mostly to people in my mothers' group who'd seen them on my bench during a catch-up at our place. That was March 2022. I made about $340 profit after costs. It felt enormous. It felt like I'd found a gap in my own day that I hadn't known was there.
By the time we moved to Brunswick in late 2023, I had a proper routine. Orders packed before 8:30 am, kids dropped at school, back home to handle emails and restock by 10. I was working maybe 22 hours a week and clearing more than I had in any part-time role I'd held since having kids. That's when I decided to formalise things properly, get a real website up, and give the business a name that meant something rather than just my initials. Fenwick Supply Co stuck because it felt solid. A bit old-fashioned. Like something that would still make sense in ten years.
Fenwick himself, now seven, thinks it's mostly funny. He told his teacher the company was named after him and she didn't believe him, which he found deeply satisfying. He has no interest in cutting boards but he does like that packages come to our house and that sometimes there are bubble wrap sheets left over. His brother Eli has started asking if he'll ever get a company named after him. I told him maybe if he stops leaving his shoes in the hallway. That conversation is ongoing.
I don't think I had a business plan in the traditional sense. I had a school timetable and a rough idea of what I needed to earn to feel less financially dependent on one income. The name was the last piece. It made it feel real in a way the ABN hadn't quite managed. Sometimes naming a thing is the actual beginning of it.
How we finally landed on the right bamboo board supplier
I went through six different suppliers over fourteen months before I found one I'd actually stand behind.
The bamboo cutting board sets were the first product I ever stocked, so I probably should have sorted the supply chain properly from the start. I didn't. I found a supplier quickly, the boards sold, and I moved on to other things. It took about eight months and a handful of customer emails mentioning warping and splitting before I admitted I had a problem. The boards weren't terrible, but they weren't what I'd have bought twice myself, and that's the test I use for everything we carry. If I wouldn't replace it with the same product, I shouldn't be selling it.
What followed was fourteen months of sampling. I contacted suppliers through a sourcing agent I found via a Brunswick-based importer who I'd met at a small trade event at the Melbourne Convention Centre in early 2023. He mostly dealt in tableware but knew people. I ended up trialling boards from six different manufacturers, two of them with Australian-based reps, the rest communicating directly via email across time zones that made everything slower than it needed to be. I kept a notes document with dimensions, weight, grain consistency, how each board responded to a good soak and a dry cycle.
The boards we carry now come from a manufacturer in Anji County in Zhejiang province, which is one of the main bamboo-producing regions in China and supplies a lot of the commercial kitchenware market globally. That context matters to me. They're not a tiny operation, but they do run proper quality checks and the rep I deal with has been consistent and honest when I've pushed back on things. The boards are 18mm thick, which is the minimum I'd want for daily use, and they've held up well in the six months since we switched.
I also had them send me a sample of their joining adhesive spec sheet, which sounds excessive but the food-safe certification question comes up from customers more than you'd expect. I wanted to be able to answer it properly. The answer is that the adhesive meets FDA food-contact standards, which is what most Australian retailers reference in the absence of a specific local standard for bamboo boards. I put that information on the product page and the questions dropped off almost immediately, which told me people had been wondering and not asking.
I'm not saying we've landed on the perfect product forever. I'm saying we've landed on one I'd buy for my own kitchen in Collingwood without feeling like I'd compromised. That took longer than it should have, but I'd rather take the time than keep selling something I'm privately embarrassed by.
Getting a better cup from your glass French press
Most people are doing at least two things wrong with their French press, and both are easy to fix.
I drink two cups of coffee before 9 am most mornings. One before the kids wake up, one after drop-off when the house is quiet and I can actually taste it. I've been using a French press for years because I like the process and I like that there's no paper filter pulling out the oils. But I made the same mistakes for a long time before I bothered to look into it properly, and the difference in the cup is significant enough that it feels worth writing down. The main issues people run into are grind size and steep time, and they're connected.
French press needs a coarse grind. Coarser than you'd think. If you're buying pre-ground coffee from a supermarket, it's almost certainly ground too fine for a press, which means it pushes through the mesh filter and you end up with a muddy, bitter cup and a lot of silt at the bottom. If you're buying whole beans and grinding at home, aim for something that looks like rough sea salt rather than table salt. I use a Breville grinder I've had for about four years and setting 8 out of 10 on the coarseness dial is roughly where I land for our press.
Steep time is the other thing. The standard advice is four minutes but that's a starting point, not a rule. Water temperature matters too. Boiling water at 100 degrees will over-extract and turn the coffee bitter, especially with darker roasts. Let the kettle sit for about 45 seconds after it boils, or if you have a temperature-controlled kettle, aim for 93 to 95 degrees. I've been buying beans from Padre Coffee on Smith Street in Collingwood for the past year and a half. Their Ethiopia Yirgacheffe single origin is good in a press at about 94 degrees and four and a half minutes steep.
The other thing worth doing is warming the glass carafe before you brew. Pour a small amount of hot water in, swirl it around, tip it out. It takes ten seconds and it keeps your brew temperature stable through the steep, which matters more in winter when the kitchen is cold. Our Northcote house had terrible heating and I noticed a real difference between summer and winter cups before I started pre-warming. A glass vessel loses heat faster than ceramic, so this step is more important for a French press than it would be for a stovetop pot.
None of this is complicated. It's just a few small adjustments that compound. The press itself is low-maintenance too, just disassemble the plunger and rinse the mesh filter properly after each use. Coffee oils go rancid and they will affect the next cup if you leave residue in the filter. Thirty seconds of actual rinsing, not a quick splash under the tap.
Packing orders through a Melbourne July, honestly
July last year was the first winter I ran the business full-time and it was colder and stranger than I expected.
I'm writing this in late February, which in Melbourne means the heat has finally broken and I can think clearly again. But I keep coming back to last July because it was the first full winter I ran Fenwick Supply Co as my main thing rather than a side project with a separate income underneath it. The boys were both in school full-time by then. I had the house to myself from 9 to 3 every weekday. And for the first few weeks of July I found the quiet genuinely strange. I'd wanted this setup for three years and then I had it and I kept checking my phone like I was waiting for something to interrupt me.
July was also our second-busiest month last year, which I hadn't anticipated. I'd expected a slow winter and planned stock accordingly, which meant I ran low on the ceramic frypan by the third week of the month. 47 units sold in July against a forecast of 28. I think it was a combination of people being at home more, cooking more, and a few posts from accounts I don't control that happened to feature the pan. One was a Brunswick-based food photographer who used it in a shoot and tagged us without being asked. That single post drove about 19 direct sales in 48 hours.
The packing happens in our second bedroom, which was supposed to be a guest room but has been a fulfilment room for about 18 months now. In July I was in there most mornings in a jumper and a vest because the ducted heating doesn't quite reach that end of the house. Bubble wrap is genuinely miserable to handle when your hands are cold. I ordered a cheap ceramic bar heater from a hardware place on High Street and it made an immediate difference. Some operational decisions are very undramatic.
What I didn't expect about going full-time was how much the rhythm would matter. When I was working school hours around a part-time job, every minute felt accounted for. When the only structure is the one you make yourself, it's easier to let things drift. I started writing a loose daily list the night before, nothing complicated, just the three things that had to happen before pickup. That helped. The list is still sitting on the corner of the packing table most mornings.
February feels easier. The light is back, the orders are steady, and I've got stock levels in better shape than I did going into last winter. I've pre-ordered extra frypan stock for June. I'm learning what the business actually needs a full year behind me now, rather than guessing based on a few months of data. It's slower knowledge than I wanted but it's real.
Customer reviews
Sarah M. — Surry Hills, NSW — 2024-03-14 — 5/5
The knife is genuinely excellent
Ordered the Stainless Steel Chef Knife after my old one gave up the ghost. It arrived in four days, well packaged, and the balance feels right straight out of the box. I've used it daily for three weeks now and it's still holding its edge. Would buy from Fenwick again without hesitation.
Tom B. — Brunswick, VIC — 2024-06-02 — 4/5
Great frypan, minor quibble with delivery
The Ceramic Non-Stick Frypan cooks eggs without any oil, which is exactly what I wanted. Delivery took a day longer than the estimate, which was a bit annoying but not a dealbreaker. The pan itself is solid and the ceramic coating looks unmarked after two months of regular use.
Claire W. — New Farm, QLD — 2024-08-19 — 5/5
French press makes a proper coffee
I've gone through a few glass French presses and they've either leaked or broken within months. The Glass French Press from Fenwick has been going strong since August and the borosilicate glass feels noticeably thicker than cheaper options. Shipping to Brisbane was fast — landed in two business days. Really happy with it.
Jess A. — Fremantle, WA — 2024-10-07 — 4/5
Cutting boards are solid, just oil them first
The Bamboo Cutting Board Set arrived well packed and the boards are a good weight — not too heavy, not flimsy. I noticed the care instructions say to oil before first use, which I'd recommend actually doing before you start cooking. One board had a faint scuff on the edge from transit but nothing that affects use.
Daniel K. — Northcote, VIC — 2024-11-22 — 5/5
Baking mats replaced my baking paper habit
Bought the Silicone Baking Mat Set on a whim and I'm glad I did — nothing sticks, they're easy to clean, and I've already saved money on baking paper. They fit my standard oven trays without any trimming. Ordered on a Monday and they were at my door Wednesday.
Rachel P. — Hobart, TAS — 2025-01-10 — 5/5
Fast dispatch even to Tassie
I always brace myself for long delivery times when ordering from mainland businesses, but the Bamboo Cutting Board Set arrived in five business days to Hobart, which is pretty good. The boards are well finished and feel like they'll last. Good communication from the team too — tracking number came through promptly.
Marcus O. — West End, QLD — 2025-02-28 — 4/5
Chef knife is worth the price
I hesitated at $149 for a knife but I've had cheap ones that dulled in a month so I gave the Stainless Steel Chef Knife a go. Three months in, it's still sharp enough to break down a whole chicken without fuss. The handle is comfortable for longer prep sessions. Knocked a star off only because the website said it would ship same day and it went out the following morning instead.
Annette L. — Norwood, SA — 2025-04-15 — 5/5
Bought as a gift, recipient was very happy
Ordered the French Press with gift wrapping for a friend's birthday. The wrapping was neat and the handwritten note was a nice touch. My friend messaged me the day it arrived to say it made the best coffee she'd had at home. Delivery to Adelaide was quicker than I expected for standard shipping.
Shipping
We dispatch all orders from our workshop in inner Melbourne Monday through Friday. Orders placed before 2pm AEST on a business day go out the same day. Standard orders travel via Australia Post and arrive within 3–7 business days for metro addresses across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. Regional and rural addresses should allow 5–10 business days. Express orders ship via StarTrack and typically reach capital city addresses the next business day. All orders include a tracking number sent by email once dispatched, so you can follow your parcel through the network.
Shipping is free on all orders over $75. Orders under $75 attract a flat $9.95 standard shipping fee or $14.95 for express. All prices displayed on our website and at checkout are inclusive of GST — there are no surprise charges added at the end. We pack orders in recycled cardboard boxes with paper fill rather than plastic foam. Fragile items like the Glass French Press and Ceramic Non-Stick Frypan are double-boxed and wrapped securely. We can't control how every courier handles a parcel, but we do our best to make sure things arrive intact.
If your order arrives damaged, take photos of the packaging and the item before doing anything else, then contact us at hello@fenwicksupply.com.au within 48 hours of delivery. Include your order number and the photos and we'll sort out a replacement or refund quickly. We lodge the damage claim with the carrier on your behalf — you won't need to deal with Australia Post or StarTrack directly. For lost parcels that show no tracking movement after five business days, contact us and we'll investigate and follow up with the carrier to get things resolved.
Returns
You can return most items within 30 days of receiving your order, provided they're unused, in their original packaging, and in the same condition they arrived. To start a return, email hello@fenwicksupply.com.au with your order number and the reason for the return. We'll confirm eligibility and send you the return address. Change-of-mind returns are accepted but return postage is at your cost. We recommend using a tracked service — we can't process a refund for a parcel we don't receive, and we're not responsible for items lost in transit on the way back to us.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, you're entitled to a remedy if a product has a major fault, doesn't do what it's supposed to do, or doesn't match its description. In those cases, you can choose a refund, replacement, or repair depending on the nature of the fault, and we cover return shipping costs. Minor faults may be resolved with a repair or replacement at our discretion. If you believe your item has a fault, contact us with a description and photos and we'll assess it promptly. We take these obligations seriously and won't make you jump through unnecessary hoops.
Once we receive and inspect your return, we'll process your refund within 5 business days. Refunds go back to the original payment method — credit card refunds can take a further 3–5 business days to appear depending on your bank. We don't charge restocking fees. Items that show signs of use, have been damaged by the customer, or are returned without their original packaging won't be accepted for a change-of-mind return. Gift-wrapped orders follow the same return conditions as standard orders — the wrapping itself is not refundable. If you have any questions about whether your return qualifies, just ask before sending anything back.