Blak Brews honoured for innovation at 2025 NAIDOC Awards

Posted on 10 Jul 2025

By Nick Place, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia

Blak brews troy and cerisa — Troy and Cerisa are taking native Australian teas to the world.

English Breakfast tea just doesn’t cut it anymore.

An Indigenous husband and wife team who brought native ingredients to Australian teapots were recognised with the National Innovation Award at last weekend’s 2025 NAIDOC Awards gala, held in Perth (Boorloo).

Troy Benjamin and his wife, Cerisa, run Blak Brews in Geelong, Victoria, creating distinctly Indigenous teas such as “Kakadu Sunset”, made with Queensland tea, “Minty Green”, featuring a wild-grown native mint blend, and “Aussie Brekkie”, made from black tea grown on Kuku Yalanji Country, which includes the Daintree and Cape Tribulation.

Troy, a Mutti Mutti, Latje Latje, Wadi Wadi and Dadi Dadi man, said his background was in cafés, but the mother of one of his coffee roasters, Sharyn Johnston, turned out to be a renowned global tea master. When Cerisa, whose heritage is Jawoyn, Gurindji and Warlpiri, spoke with Johnston about potential ingredients for a planned essential oil business, she mentioned the strong international demand for Australian Indigenous ingredients. That sparked the idea to enter the tea market.

“We wanted to make tea cool, tapping into our coffee networks and developing blends with native ingredients and totally Australian-grown product,” Troy said. “Sharyn has been amazing, helping us develop our blends and brand, and respecting our cultural angle. We feel strongly that success comes from strong relationships and collaborations – and not just First Nations ones but drawing on the knowledge and support of everyone around you.”

“It’s great to land contracts with big companies or have sales overseas, but this award is really personal. It shows the respect of our peers.”

The first Blak Brews tea was created in 2023, and the brand has since expanded to include coffee and gift packs.

Troy said he and Cerisa were deeply appreciative of the award’s recognition.

“People who know what NAIDOC is will know our community, and what this says about how people feel and think about our brand,” he said. “It’s great to land contracts with big companies or have sales overseas, but this award is really personal. It shows the respect of our peers.”

Other award winners at the NAIDOC gala, held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday night, included: