Grower Story № 1King Valley Walnuts · Myrrhee VIC
Every Victorian walnut we pack comes off one family farm in Myrrhee, in the King Valley — picked in April, cracked on the property, and packed by hand at Orchard Valley in Melbourne.
Most walnuts on Australian shelves have crossed an ocean to get there — months in shipping containers, blended from wherever was cheapest that season. Ours haven't. They're grown by King Valley Walnuts, the family farm Michael Burston and Carol Kunert started when they planted their first 1,500 trees on the creek flats beside Fifteen Mile Creek in 1996.
Three decades on, the farm runs about 4,000 trees across three orchards in Australia's High Country — country better known for its vineyards, with the deep soil, high rainfall and cool climate that walnuts love.
© King Valley WalnutsRows of Chandler, Howard and Franquette running along Fifteen Mile Creek in the King Valley. The nuts drop in April and are washed, hulled and dried to 8% moisture on the farm within days — then shelled on-site on the farm's French cracking plant.
Nothing gets wasted. Sheep graze and fertilise the rows, hulls are composted back under the trees, and any kernel that misses grade becomes cold-pressed walnut oil.
© King Valley WalnutsMichael Burston is a horticulturist who bought a derelict hop garden in 1996 and bet on walnuts in a valley famous for wine. Carol Kunert built the farm kitchen that turns their crop into oils, condiments and award winners. Both have spent years on the Australian Walnut Industry Association's committee.
Their walnuts travel four hours down the Hume to us — fresh crop, not freight crop. That's why they're pale, sweet and creamy where imported kernels turn dark and bitter.
Judged medals won by King Valley Walnuts — the same walnuts in our packets.
Walnut kernels · 500g
Premium Victorian · 250g
The kitchen shoot
Front and centre of the rangeThe nuts drop and are swept, washed and hulled on the farm within days.
Hot-air dried to 8% moisture, sized into four grades, inspected four times.
Shelled on-site on the farm's French cracking plant — not months ahead.
Weighed and packed into Orchard Valley packets and tubs at our place.
Victorian walnut kernels, packed by hand in Melbourne. In store now, while the season's crop lasts.
In store now