Festive millionaires: Australia’s Christmas food empires
Christmas is a time of celebration for many, but for a few the festive season is a once-in-a-year income bonanza. These are the Aussie businesses making money from your Christmas table.
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When you sit down to Christmas lunch this year, there’s every chance you’ll be supporting a multi-generation Australian family business.
December is the month these brands come to the fore — and rake in the cash.
Their seafood, hams, turkeys, chickens, mince pies, cakes, cheeses, sauces and condiments are bespoke and beloved.
Here are the biggest names in the Australian festive foods market:
KYTONS BAKERY
Kytons Bakery puts on an extra 20 people every year in the lead up to Christmas to meet demand for their popular “fancy fruit mince pies”.
Darren and Sharon Sutton have led the Adelaide-based and family-owned company since 2003 and work year-round to deliver their award-winning Christmas puddings, pies, and pasties as part of their festive range of treats.
THREE THREES
In 1919, Stanley Roy McAlpine and wife Winfred Grace began selling sauces, pickles, jams and chutney from their home Woollahra, Sydney.
More than a century later, Three Threes is run by the fifth generation of McAlpines who continue to sell spreads and sauces, but on a scale their ancestors could only have dreamt.
Their products are supermarket staples across Australia and have crept into overseas export markets.
MEREDITH DAIRY
When Sandy and Julie Cameron threw in their jobs in 1991 to become full-time farmers, it was the beginning of something special.
The business has an annual revenue growth of 5-7 per cent, with much of its takings coming during the festive season when their range of yoghurts, fresh cheeses, and marinated cheeses are in high demand.
Between 15 and 20 per cent of Meredith Dairy’s goods are exported to the US, China, Japan, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia and more.
RAPTIS SEAFOOD
Australia’s penchant for seafood on Christmas Day keeps Raptis Seafoods especially busy in December.
One of the country’s largest prawn fishing companies and privately owned seafood suppliers, the company’s products are sold at fish markets nationwide — and through pre-orders.
The business is running towards a century milestone, founded by migrant worker Arthur Raptis Senior in the 1930s and now run by grandson Arthur Raptis.
HAIGH’S CHOCOLATES
In 1915, Alfred E Haigh started to produce chocolate covered fruit in Adelaide. Business quickly boomed and the iconic Haigh’s Chocolates were born.
The company’s Christmas collection features limited-edition Christmas hampers and stockings.
VIC MEATS
Don’t be fooled by its humble origins 25 years ago — Vic’s Meats has come to dominate the festive market with its gourmet cuts.
It supplies meat to three quarters of Australia’s top 100 restaurants throughout the year.
And at Christmas, “Vic’s Christmas Collection” pre-orders are sold out weeks in advance. Its “Complete Christmas Ham Glazing kit” is another family favourite.
MAGGIE BEER
Known as much for her roles on the Great Australian Bake Off and MasterChef, as her in store delights, Maggie Beer is a culinary genius.
Maggie Beer — the person and brand — spoils Aussies brings Christmas to life with gourmet Christmas Treat hampers, flush with Moet, and the “Best of South Australia” products.
Last year her company, Maggie Beer Holdings, recorded a 4.3 per cent increase in sales during the December period.
DEUTSCHER’S TURKEY FARM
According to turkey farmer Daryl Deutscher, Christmas time goes from “busy to stupid”.
After he turned his childhood hobby into a successful business during the mid 1970s, Mr Deutscher has dedicated his life’s work to ethically raising free range heritage turkeys.
Deutscher’s Farm sells more than 6000 turkeys a year — 75 per cent of which go in the lead-up to Christmas Day.
His unique turkeys can fetch up to $200 each and are highly sought after within Australia, especially among customers local to his 32 hectare property in the Wimmera Region of Victoria.
TASMANIAN TRUFFLES
Second-generation truffle farmers Henry and Anna Terry are the iconic sibling duo you may remember from mega-hit cooking program My Kitchen Rules.
Their father Tim Terry founded Tasmanian Truffles in 1999 on his Delorian farm and has sold their world-class black truffles internationally.
In fact, they are one of just a few “black gold” suppliers in the Asia-Pacific, with the help of their highly trained truffle dog Doug.
BEECHWORTH HONEY
In business for 140 years, Beechworth makes honey that environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Fourth generation apiarist, co-founder, and director of Beechworth Honey Group Jodie Goldsworthy leads the business.
TUCKER’S NATURAL
Sam and Cindy Tucker developed Tucker’s Natural in their 20s, cementing their shared interest in health and wellbeing.
Now the couple produce a popular range of artisan crackers and snacks made with no artificial preservatives, flavourings or colourings. The products are free of GMOs, MSG’s, soy and yeast.
The perfect accompaniment to any Christmas cheese board or grazing platter.
BEERENBERG
Six generations have kept this family owned business running since 1839 in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, with brothers Robert and Anthony Paech now in charge of the brand.
All their homemade Australian jams, chutneys, relishes and sauces are ethically made from 100 per cent Aussie ingredients that can be bought in their farm store or online.
BULLA FAMILY DAIRY
Bulla Family Dairy was founded in 1910 out of an old milking shed and is now run by the Sloan, Anderson, and Downey families.
Located in the Victorian town of Colac, Bulla produces yoghurts, cheeses, cream, milk and ice-creams — essential ingredients for festive pavlovas, trifles or tarts.
Besides being in high demand across Australia, exports to 17 countries make up five per cent of their annual revenue.
RANDOM HARVEST
Random Harvest produces 100 per cent Australian made oils, jams, chutneys, sauce and crackers out of Caringbah, Sydney.
However the company well and truly owns the festive holiday with their stacked Christmas hampers such as the “Sparking Wine Delights Christmas Hamper” and “Premium Red Wine with Nibbles Christmas Hamper”.
STONEY RIVER
In 2006, John and Linley Brumerskyj decided to start selling olives and fine foods across the NSW south coast, sourced from small regional farms in Australia and Spain.
A few years later their company Flavours Shoalhaven evolved and they opened a gourmet deli in Berry to keep up with interstate requests for their products, including hams, cheeses and wines.
WOOMBYE CHEESE COMPANY
Awarded Australia’s Best Cheese for 2023, you will have to get in early for a piece of Woombye’s fresh, handcrafted cheeses this festive season.
Owner and artisan cheese aficionado Beth O’Leary took over from couple Graeme and Karen Paynter who founded the successful company in 2013 on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
GAME FARM
When Portuguese immigrant Armenio Bento arrived in Sydney in 1953, he began this family owned chicken and poultry business on a humble property in Arcadia, NSW.
Today, Game Farm supplies turkeys, ducks and hams nationally.
The company’s Xmas Game Farm Free Range Turkeys and award-winning Christmas hams can be pre-ordered through Sutcliffe Meats.
CROSTOLI KING
When mother of two Margaret Incandela decided to make a fresh plate of Crostoli to share with her family at Christmas in 1994, she did not anticipate it would become a business.
Orders flooded in — and quickly supermarkets were running out of her signature Vanilla Crostolis.
Twenty-nine years later, Crostoli King has more than 22 lines of sweets available Australia. Almost all products are handmade with the original recipes.
DARRELL LEA
This iconic Australian brand was on the brink of collapse in 2012 before the Quinn Family assumed ownership.
Within a decade they have restored Darrell Lea to its former glory and dominate Christmas, with limited edition puddings, gingerbread-flavoured chocolate, and licorice.
KOKO BLACK
Koko Black took a twist on Belgium chocolate as it opened its first shop in Sydney in 2003.
One store soon became 15, with boxes of their truffles, blocks, marbles and hot chocolate blends flying off the shelves.
Their Christmas hamper collection is available with limited edition chocolate stars and bonbons.
YARRA VALLEY DAIRY
Located in Victoria’s Yarra Valley Ranges, this Aussie-owned business is famous for its European-style soft ricottas and beloved Persian fetta.
Its dairy sits alongside a 100-year-old milking shed, on a property known as ‘Hubertswood.
Its “Gremolata and Persian Fetta Stuffed Leg of Lamb” and 12 Days of Christmas gift packages have customers here and abroad hooked.
WALKERS SHORTBREAD
Walkers Shortbread has been a longstanding Christmas classic across the country despite hailing from Scotland.
Company director Sir Jim Walker said the love-affair between Aussies and the finest shortbread in the world is stronger than ever.
“All our shortbread sells well in Australia, particularly fingers. We have a variety and speciality range – mint royals and cookies – but shortbread is what Australians love. You have the biggest consumption of shortbread outside of the UK,” he said.
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