Soap maker partners with Bannister Downs Dairy to celebrate Northcliffe’s 100 years

A soap maker living in the Wheatbelt is on a mission to include products from communities in the South West in her creations. From emu oil, camel milk, honey, chestnuts and wool fibres to milk, owner of Rurale Skincare Bonnie Stevens is advocating for the use of local produce over artificial ingredients. The mission is twofold — supporting rural communities and telling a story of the towns throughout the South West to people who buy her soaps. Ms Stevens recently partnered with Bannister Down’s Dairy in celebration of Northcliffe turning 100 this year. Launching a batch of Moody Cows soap made with milk from Bannister Down’s Dairy, the soap has made its mark on the town with the Northcliffe Visitor Centre lining its shelves with a range of Rurale Skincare products. “It’s not something I expected to happen it. It’s absolutely fantastic to be able to make that connection with another local business,” Ms Stevens said. “They all have a little flower to represent it’s a female cow as a dairy product.” Starting her business eight years ago in Perth as a young mum, she was motivated to create her own handmade soap products due to having very sensitive skin. Ms Stevens also wanted a gentle option for her children, with the idea to use local ingredients coming three years ago when she moved to the Wheatbelt with her family. “Everybody’s loved it. I’ve had customers that have followed me for the last six years, and they say that these are the best soaps that I’ve ever made,” she said. “I found that spark that’s driving me at the moment. I feel like that’s the direction that I need to go, not just for me, but also for the people around me. “The rural community might be small, but at least I can try and make some kind of little impact, because it takes a lot of small actions to make a big thing happen.” Bannister Downs Dairy managing director Suzanne Daubney said she was excited when Ms Stevens contacted her about doing a partnership. After brainstorming together, they came up with the idea to do a soap in celebration of Northcliffe turning 100 this year. “I thought it was really exciting to work with somebody local at the business,” Ms Daubney said. “It has a story and a lot of thought has gone into it. I’ve just got a lot of respect for that. “It’s good to see other people out there with business ideas and innovation and going out on a limb to create products — that’s something that we would always support.”