Kingaroy was re-established as the peanut capital of Australia with a nation-first production officially unveiled.
Kingaroy’s Plenty Foods officially opened their nut powder facility and recognised 40 years as a business with a grand celebration on Thursday afternoon, 26 February.
There were dignitaries from state government, Burnett businesses and beyond in attendance at the South Burnett factory who had supported Plenty’s innovative rise in the niche food market.
South Burnett Chef Jason Ford and his team of students from South Burnett and Toowoomba TAFE were busy serving guests food using the new peanut and almond powder.
“It’s the first of its kind made in Australia -an ingredient we hope will transform the foodscape,” Marketing Director Helen Morgan said.
The nut powder developed in Kingaroy provides a domestic option for suppliers.
Plenty owner and General Manager Josh Gadischke and his wife Jo Gadischke was excited to unveil the new product after years of Plenty specialising in extracting high-quality oils from nuts and seeds.
The facility producing the superfine nut powder, is an Australian first, marking a significant milestone for Australia’s food manufacturing.
Mr Gadischke said the product had a clean label, was plant-based, nutritious and sustainable.
“It positions us, Plenty Foods, not just as a nut processor, but as an ingredient innovator,” he said.
“Importantly, it strengthens Kingaroy’s long-standing reputation as the heart of Australia’s peanut and agri-industry, while expanding into a high value advanced processor.”
Plenty plans on commercially producing peanut powder first, before expanding into almond and macadamia varieties.
The nut powders are produced by gently roasting the whole nuts, extracting the oil and milling the remaining nut solids into a superfine powder.
Plenty states this results in a lighter, silkier ingredient with improved dispersion, absorption and blending properties compared to conventional nut flours.
The nut flours are useful for bakery items, snacks, sports nutrition, functional foods, sauces, coatings, dairy-free ice creams and confections, ready meals and plant-based alternatives.
Mr Gadischke was proud to launch Australia’s first dedicated nut powder processing plant, providing an Australian-made product which food manufacturers have historically relied on imported almond, macadamia and peanut powders.
“It’s proof that Australian manufacturing is alive and evolving and that regional Queensland can lead to food innovation,” he said.
The vision began by discovering many nuts were wasted because they did not fit the retailer mold.
“We learned from growers that several nut grades are consistently difficult to sell due to colour, shape or some other small imperfection not affecting nutrition at all,” Mr Gadischke said.
Plenty’s nut powder utilises this nutrition and reduces this wastage.
“Nut powder production allows us to maximize and utilize all of the raw product extracting value by reducing waste,” he added.
By being more sustainable, the nut powder processing plant ensures the nut industry has a greater future.
“It means more value retained in Australia’s nut industry, more capability in advanced food ingredient processing, greater resilience in domestic supply chains, increased export potential for premium Australian ingredients, skilled regional employment, and a platform for future growth,” Mr Gadischke said.
The project was not without its setbacks, including Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, escalating building costs and supply chain challenges.
However, the project did not ‘crack’ due to the support of the Federal Department of Industry, Science and Technology, as well as various Queensland Government departments.
Deb Frecklington, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Integrity and Member for Nanango, officially opened the event with Mr Gadischke, marking the first official batch of Plenty nut flour.
“To think that Plenty just goes from one thing to another and it keeps getting bigger and better,” she said.
She reflected on Plenty’s chapter in Australia’s agricultural success story, and use of innovation to drive their growth.
“The vision that this couple [Josh and Jo Gadischke] has put into practice is really quite astounding,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“We are so fortunate that we have this incredible agriculture thriving region.”
Mrs Frecklington went on to assist with a cooking demonstration with Chef Jason Ford, making a tik-tok trend inspired tiramisu using Plenty’s peanut nut flour.
The Nanango MP marvelled at the progress Plenty has made.
“I’m so immensely proud to think that all those years ago when I stood with you and I could see your vision then and back then it was oil and now to think it is the nut flour,” she said.
“I really do wonder what is next for you guys.”
Opening attendees enjoyed a tour of the factory, looking at the machines which roast, pummel and grind the nuts into a super fine powder.
The company still has phase two to go, planning to establish an office space, research laboratory, and a carpark at the Plenty precinct in the future.
On average, Plenty Foods processes approximately 4,000 tonnes of nuts and seeds each year for domestic and export markets.
