Australian Gourmet Chestnuts
Australian Gourmet Chestnuts was founded in 1998 by Brian and Jane who felt that to improve peoples enjoyment of this wonderful food it needed to be in a form that was easy to use. They were the first Australian growers to commercially produce frozen peeled chestnuts. These make including chestnuts in recipes such as chestnut soup, stuffings for the Christmas turkey and the famous Mont Blanc quick and easy.
In 2005 they commenced production of sweetened chestnut puree. It's like a chestnut jam and can be used anywhere that you would normally use jam. It is a great base for Nesselrode Ice Cream or simply folded through whipped cream and used to sandwich a sponge.
Then in 2006 the production of sweet chestnut flour commenced. Made from freeze-drying their frozen peeled chestnuts and then milling the dried nuts into flour this flour is fine and does not contain any of the brown inner skin that is so often found in other chestnut flours. It is completely gluten free.
All products are available in retail sized packs as well as food service sized packs for restaurants and caterers. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or comments.
The Caseys
Jane and Brian's love affair with chestnuts began when a small farm they purchased happened to have some chestnut trees. Although they initially didn't know what to do with them, once shown (by an old Italian friend) they were off and running and haven't stopped since. That's the thing with chestnuts, once you know what to do you just fall in love with them.
Both Brian and Jane have been actively involved in the chestnut industry with both serving on the board of the industry association at different times. Brian held the position of Chairman of the national chestnut association - Chestnuts Australia Inc from 2004- 2006 and is currently the Chair of the Industry Advisory Committee which oversees the allocation of industry levy funds. Jane was a previous Executive Officer of the assocation and is now on the promotions sub-committee. At the recent Annual General Meeting in 2011 they were made Life Members of Chestnuts Australia Inc in recognition of their long term committment to the development of the Australian chestnut industry.
Their passion for chestnuts has taken them all over the world and together with their three children they spent three months in 2002 travelling around Northern Italy, Southern France (including Corsica) , Spain and Portugal experiencing chestnuts. They attended many chestnut festivals including ones in Cuneo, NW Italy; Mourjou, Cantal Region of France; St Andeol de Vals, Ardeche and the famous chestnut flour festival in Bocognano in Corsica.
In October 2004 they attended the Third International Chestnut Symposium in Charves, Portugal and returned to Europe in 2008 and again in 2009 when they organised a group of Australian Growers to visit Italy for the First European Congress on Chestnuts. There was 13 people in the group and they visited the Marradi chestnut festival, Garfagnana, the wonderful chestnut museum "Museo del Castagno" in Colognora as well as the Congress in Cuneo.
They travel regularly to Japan and China with their export business taking Australian chestnuts to the world.
The Casey's really know their nuts!
Brian & Jane in Mourjou - France
