Upmarket nuts cream of the crop

Mark Kearney on his walnut orchard.

Being made redundant may feel like the end of the road for many, but for Tutira resident Mark Kearney it was a new beginning.

In 1998 Mark took redundancy from Pan Pac and planted his land out in 300 walnut trees.
"There were already 35 of the old English variety on the property when we bought the land in 1997," he says.

He didn't rate that strain and decided to go upmarket, planting the Meyric variety which he says have proven to be the tastiest in New Zealand and have a very thin shell.

"You can open them with your finger."

Mark says harvest time is at the end of March, lasting around three weeks for the bulk of the crop and the late ones taking another two weeks. Walnuts may look simple enough, but there's a fair bit of work involved.

"We place the nuts in drying racks and they take about two weeks to dry, although we leave them them a bit longer before we start shelling them."

The trees require regular pruning to keep them healthy and growing well.

All nuts are shelled by machine, with nothing going to waste - shells go in the coal range to heat the Kearney's water and the autumn leaves are left on the ground to rot away and "become part of the tree's food chain".

Mark only sells shelled walnuts, which are best kept in the freezer.

"They are oil based so don't freeze - they stay separated. You can also keep them in the fridge."

Walnut blight can be a problem but Mark says they have that under control and the trees stay healthy. He says any restaurant will say they're the best and he has customers all over the North Island.

"People love them and what to know what breed they are - they're the best you can buy by far. Very rarely you'd find a bad one."

- To purchase walnuts, contact or visit Mark at Matahorua Rd, Tutira, between the school and the shop or phone 8397739.

- The shop is open on weekends, public holidays and school holidays.