Allison Jones and Paul Matthews created Sugar Republic in 2018 after years of visiting quirky museums and pop-ups around the world.
When they spotted a ‘for lease’ sign at the former MacRobertson’s factory, birthplace of iconic sweets including the cherry Ripe and Freddo, they decided to bring back the confectionery and open a pop-up experience for sweet lovers.
Sugar Republic was launched in June 2018 to immediate success, selling out 8-week shows in Melbourne and Brisbane. Earlier this year the team was resident at Myer flagship stores in Melbourne and Sydney with a re-imagined Sugar Republic.
Christmasland marks the return of Sugar Republic to its original Fitzroy venue. With the season in full swing, we spoke to Sugar Republic’s Director Allison Jones.
Tell us about Sugar Republic.
Sugar Republic is an art-based experience that encourages grown-ups to re-live the joy of being a child through immersive rooms and experiences. It launched in Melbourne in 2018 and has toured the East Coast of Australia. At our current Christmasland event visitors can slide into a marshmallow pit, play in the show in a giant snow globe, visit the naughty room, swim in a candy cane ball pit and sample candy at a Christmas market stall.
What inspired you to start Sugar Republic?
I am an avid museum fan and have travelled the world seeking out quirky and obscure museums. I also have a love for iconic and nostalgic design. When I saw by chance last year that the old MacRobertson’s factory in Melbourne (birthplace of Freddo and Cherry Ripes) was up for lease, it seemed like an unmissable opportunity to open it up again for confectionery lovers through an immersive experience.
Tell us about your career and background.
I worked for around 20 years in Melbourne and the UK (where I am from) in the book publishing industry in marketing and graphic design, and I have written books for Lonely Planet. When my children were tiny, my husband I I decided to make a tree change to Daylesford, where we started an indie design store, Lark. We ran it as a family business for ten years before selling it in 2016, when I started to work on ideas for a new business that eventually because Sugar Republic!
Describe a typical work day for you.
Depending on what stage an event is at (usually we have 10-12 weeks set up, 6 weeks open and 2 weeks bump out), my day is a juggle between site work and meetings. I travel a lot, even when we are running a show in Melbourne as my home is 2 hours away, so I use this time to catch up on emails and our social media marketing and to dream up ideas for new installations. I finish work around 7pm and try to get a few hours of downtime before it all starts again. When we have a show running I work seven days a week. Luckily I love my job!
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
Seek advice (but don’t always take it – follow your intuition!), find collaborators who share your vision, be prepared to work ten times harder than you have ever done before. Just go for it – the idea that you have had may end up being quite different once it becomes an actual business and that’s ok, as it’s a learning journey. If you believe in what you are doing and you work at it you will be successful.
What’s next for you, and Sugar Republic?
It’s been a whirlwind for 18 months – what started as a fun art event has become a well-known brand with incredible partnerships and a lot of interesting opportunities. My plan for the next year is to take some time to assess the business on all levels before taking it to the next level, whatever that might be. I love to surprise our audience so you never know what might happen next!
