STARTING OUT TOGETHER - STEVE AND BRONWYN MANOLAS

We met around seven years ago at a food show in Surfers Paradise. It was a sunny, bright beautiful day in the Gold Coast and I went to the show with my sister. At the time I was working in a food distribution business so I knew a few of the Chef’s who were selling food. The show had food, wine and music an excellent combo! 

Later that afternoon my lovely friend Julie arrived with a few of her friends including Steve. Steve and I had a chat about yoga (I had been that morning!) and it was time for my sister and I to head home. 

A few months down the track I went on a little trip to Byron with a group of friends including Steve. We all had a great weekend in the winter sunshine, eating great food, dancing and drinking.

A few weeks after that Steve called me an asked me for breakfast and we headed to Palm Beach for coffee and breakfast followed by a walk up Elephant Rock at Currumbin.

After a few more dates we realised that we had a lot in common and more importantly really liked each other! At the time I was living in Southport but my lease was about to end and my flatmate was heading home to NZ so Steve asked me to move in with him at Main Beach on the Gold Coast. His apartment was sunny and warm with a view onto the beach.

Later that year we went to Bali where Steve proposed in a rice field with a ring he designed, made by one of my amazing friends Phee (https://opheliabraithwaite.com/) – I was completely surprised and of course said YES!

We were married the following year here on the Gold Coast at the beautiful Greek Orthodox Church of St Anna in Bundall.

We welcomed our son in 2017 and Steve wanted to spend more time with us and decided it was time to leave his family business to follow his dreams.

Steve had an operation to remove bowel cancer later that year and decided to completely change his lifestyle. This included quitting alcohol, coffee, dairy, gluten and to become sugar free… a big change that was not easy for us but it has led us to learning more about what we put in our bodies, how to cook different foods that taste great and nutritious.

Steve then trained in Thailand to become and yoga teacher and also started mixing tea and drinking more tea because we were having trouble finding sugar free, additive free and caffeine free options for him.

I was still working part time in another role and Steve asked me to join him in his tea venture… I said yes I would love to! So now we are working in this business, creating, imagining, growing and learning together.

Bronwyn x