Back-to-back wins for Pepo Farms' hazelnut oil

For the second year in a row, Pepo Farms at Ovens has claimed one of Australia's most respected culinary accolades. Their Cold Pressed Hazelnut Oil this month won the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show's 'Champion Culinary Oil' Award. Produced by cold-pressing small batches of premium Australian-grown hazelnuts sourced from growers in Myrtleford, Stanley and Mitta Mitta, the champion hazelnut oil is aromatic and silky with a naturally sweet, toasted-nut character. Pepo Farms co-owner, Jay Rivett, said it has been exciting to see the amount of love for their oils grow over the last 10 years, not only from locals and regular visitors, but also chefs from around Australia. "There are dozens of amazing oils people are producing and we're just one of many who are showing and supporting a groundswell of demand for these amazing artisan oils," he said. "Chefs especially are starting to give us feedback they want these amazing kind of oils and we also have people travelling up every day to our educational centre and farmgate here. "They travel just for a particular oil they love: they go to Bright and base their trip around calling into Pepo Farms. "We make small batches every few months to keep the oil fresh and in season, but farmers often just drop in with batches of hazelnuts they've just cracked and we can then press it fresh within the week." Pepo Farms' Dan Pusvacietis said one of the key things they have been able to do is create traditional oil flavours made with techniques which have been used for generations across Europe. "We really get to feature the best of what's grown locally," he said. "We capture the best flavours and textures from the nut when we're pressing the oil and people are blown away every day when they come here to taste at our experience centre. "Hazelnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, sunflower oil...all these oils have very distinctive flavours with a palatable finish, unlike a lot of oils people typically use from supermarkets. "And for every oil, there's a corresponding solid left behind from the pressing process...Jay's team has been exceptional at creating a flour range to support our range. "[The hazelnut flour] is a high protein, plant-based flour, which is exceptional for baking and cooking. "So, the whole process is very low-waste as well, which is right at the heart of what we do at Pepo Farms." Pepo Farms CEO Marcus Warner said the oil's repeat win is particularly meaningful because agricultural products naturally vary from one season to the next. "To have the oil recognised again this year gives us enormous confidence in the consistency of what our growers and our team are producing," Mr Warner said. "Our job is to start with exceptional Australian hazelnuts, understand the raw ingredient and press them carefully enough to let their natural character speak for itself. "To be doing that in Ovens, working with produce grown here in Victoria's High Country, then have it recognised on a national stage is something our whole team and our growers can be proud of." Mr Warner says helping Australians understand how to use oils beyond olive oil remains a significant opportunity. "Australia grows some extraordinary nuts and seeds, but we often don't think about the oils they can produce," he said. "You only need a small amount, but it brings aroma and flavour you simply don't get from a neutral cooking oil." Pepo Farms' Experience Centre in Ovens is open seven days a week, located on the Great Alpine Road between Myrtleford and Bright, offering guided tastings of the company's Australian-grown oils, seeds, nuts and other products. Pepo Farms 'Cold Pressed Hazelnut Oil' is also available nationally, via: www.pepofarms.au.

Back-to-back wins for Pepo Farms' hazelnut oil

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