Nutty ambitions: Otago orchardists find success in hazelnuts

Roger and Janine Southby took a leap into the unknown when they purchased a hazelnut farm about five years ago.

Today, their 5.8-hectare orchard in Taieri Plains is a burgeoning success

Hazelnut Estate boasts 5.8ha planted with 4700 hazelnut trees – and about 20 sheep to keep the grass in order.

As the third owners of the 25-year-old property, they inherited a well-established orchard and a commercial kitchen from previous owners.

Roger and Janine Southby's idea to purchase the hazelnut orchard was as sudden as it was welcome. Photo / Ben Tomsett

“The first owners did a really good job planting the orchard and building the house and training and pruning the trees. The second owners spent a lot of time developing the processing shed and commercial kitchen,” said Roger.

Due to an unusually cold March leaving the first-time orchardists about six weeks behind schedule, the pair are working diligently to bring their crop to market.

“We’re finished harvesting and sorting. Now we’re just waiting for the nuts to dry before we can start processing,” said Roger.

The journey into hazelnut farming began unexpectedly in 2019 when Janine saw an advertisement while out running errands.

The orchard is home to about 4700 trees on the Taieri Plains. Photo / Ben Tomsett

“We’d been exploring different business ideas for a few years. She sent it to me at work, saying, ‘Here’s our next venture’ ... That started the ball rolling,” said Roger.

The pair have found their primary market at the Otago Farmers’ Market in Dunedin, but also have a dedicated customer base through their website.

They sell their products dry-roasted and as hazelnut flour, with one of their specialty items a chocolate hazelnut spread boasting a 66% nut content. “It’s much better than Nutella,” said Janine.

Despite the steep learning curve, the pair have embraced the challenges.

“One of the main challenges is the yield of the trees. There’s a debate in New Zealand about the white heart cultivar not yielding as it should. We’re a relatively young industry here, and no one fully understands why. However, we’ve had a good yield from one of our better blocks this year,” they said.

Marketing hazelnuts is another hurdle.

“Most people’s perception of hazelnuts is based on imported nuts, which lack freshness and crunch. When customers try ours at the farmers market, they often say they taste different.”

The hazelnut farming community in New Zealand is small and fragmented, with most growers located around North Canterbury but there are a handful south of Dunedin, including around Invercargill.

Hazelnut Estate owners Roger and Janine Southby. Photo / Ben Tomsett

“There are not many commercial growers in New Zealand, mostly small pockets of people with a few hundred trees, which isn’t enough to make a living,” said Roger.

The Hazelnut Estate farm stands out by handling its own processing.

“We’ve actually run out of nuts at the moment because sales have been good. We’re just waiting for the next batch to dry.”

Roger said the lifestyle change was one they both found immensely rewarding.

“We just enjoy being outdoors and doing the work. We have a motto, ‘tree to table’, and it’s satisfying to grow something and sell it directly to the public.”

Ben Tomsett is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald, based in Dunedin.