Revolutionising Australian Cuisine with Native Botanicals
Tucker Bush is on a mission to bring Australian native food ingredients into every kitchen across the country. With your help, and the passion of nature-lovers, distributors, suppliers, chefs and foodies nation-wide, we’re helping to create a cultural shift that celebrates Indigenous heritage, preserves biodiversity, and supports our food security.
We have a proven track record of success in home gardening though bushfood plants, with a product range covering edible fruits, nuts, shoots, leaves and roots – all from incredible bushfood species that sustained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for thousands of years. Native edibles are a natural fit for the climate and soil of this land, meaning they need less water and less effort to maintain when grown in their accustomed conditions.
Our Vision
A homegrown culinary culture where we can all enjoy the best of native and exotic flavours for generations to come. We want to see native Australian ingredients and bushfood botanicals accessible, celebrated, and a staple in modern kitchens. And we’re achieving this through a shared cultural journey between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, ensuring a sustainable bushfood industry.
Our Team
Mark Tucek
Founder & Director
Mark Tucek has a Diploma in Horticulture. Mark is an educator and entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience in environmental sustainability and plant-based education. As the founder of Tucker Bush, he’s built a nationally recognised brand connecting Australians to edible native plants through school programs, home gardening, and community engagement.
Aunty Dale Tilbrook
Cultural Director
A proud Wardandi Bibbulmun Elder, Aunty Dale Tilbrook is a renowned educator, bushfood specialist, and cultural leader. With decades of experience promoting Noongar culture and food knowledge, she brings unmatched authenticity and integrity to Tucker Bush’s cultural direction.
Mindy Woods
Culinary Director
Mindy Woods is a Bundjalung woman, a former MasterChef finalist, a celebrated chef, and a passionate advocate for Indigenous food sovereignty. Her mission is to highlight and safeguard native Australian foods, emphasising their profound relationship with Country.
Paul Underwood
Digital Lead
Paul runs webup.au and has been part of the TuckerBush journey since day one in 2015. He’s the one behind the scenes—building, maintaining, and making sure our website (this website!) runs smoothly. Based in the Perth Hills, just a stone’s throw from Tucker Bush HQ, Paul stays closely connected to everything we do.
Sandy Lim
Writer
Sandy Lim is a writer, designer and illustrator for Half-Light Studio with over a hundred publishing credits to her name, including names she made up. She authors books and articles for small, purpose-driven businesses, and has been writing for Tucker Bush since its inception in 2015.
Marissa Verma
Collaborator Emeritus
Marissa is a Noongar cultural educator and speaker. She has a long, continuing history of advocacy, cultural tourism and catering, education program development, and community engagement. Mark & Marissa teamed up to start the Tucker Bush Schools Program in 2018. Having retired from her role in our Schools Program in 2023, Marissa remains a long-time friend and part of the Tucker Bush family and continues with her own business Bindi Bindi Dreaming.
Our History
Founded in 2015 by horticulturist Mark Tucek, Tucker Bush launched its first release of plants in Western Australia with just three bushfood species, lovingly grown and nurtured from seeds purchased from Mamabulanjin Aboriginal Corporation.
Since then, we’ve expanded the range to over 80 fruit, herb and vegetable bush tucker plants, now available in every state and territory, thanks to a network of suppliers, growers and distributors around the country. Together with Bindi Bindi Dreaming and RiverMint Dining, we’ve been campaigning hard to share the joys of bushfood gardening in this corner of the world.
In 2018, we released our first book, Cooking with Bush Tucker, featuring recipes generously donated by some of Australia’s finest chefs. And with the addition of the Youlk to our native vegetable range in 2019, we raised the funds needed to launch the Tucker Bush Schools Program. It’s through this program that we give the coming generations the vital knowledge and wisdom to shape a brighter future.
Following a restructure in 2025, we became a majority Indigenous-owned business set to revolutionise Australian cuisine and culinary culture with native botanicals.
We acknowledge the original owners of the lands upon which we operate, and the original custodians of the plants we grow. We do not support the theft or destruction of community, culture and Country. We hope that by making bushfoods easily accessible to a contemporary audience, we can contribute our bit towards a fairer, better and biodiverse Australia, now and into the future.
Join us in revolutionizing Australian cuisine and celebrating the rich cultural and ecological heritage of native botanicals. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the way Australians connect with their food, culture, and environment.