Sweet pie buy as Stanthorpe juice business ripe for the picking

A legendary business, famous for its fresh daily apple pies is up for sale after 30 years.

A fruitful opportunity: the iconic apple pie cafe, near Stanthorpe, hits the market. Pictures: Ray White

A small juice and cider business in Queensland’s Granite Belt region is doing something you might expect from a factory but not a rural cafe — it peels and cooks up to 800kg of apples every week to bake a wildly popular pie.

That’s the scale of operation at Sutton’s Juice Factory and Shed Cafe, which is now on the market after 30 years under the stewardship of David and Roz Sutton.

Best known for its preservative-free juices and award-winning ciders, Sutton’s owes a big part of its cult following to a single product: a handmade apple pie baked daily using farm-grown or locally sourced apples, cooked fresh on-site.

Real estate agent Jason Mattiazzi, of Ray White Rural Queensland, said the business’s unique scale of artisan pie production was unlike anything he had encountered in a rural hospitality sale.

The iconic cafe and farm shed sells fresh apple products along with local produce and its famous apple pie. Pictures: Ray White

“Imagine this — nearly a tonne of apples a week, all peeled by hand, all cooked in small batches, all baked into pies with pastry made from scratch,” Mr Mattiazzi said.

“It’s astonishing. This isn’t just a cafe; it’s a pie-making machine with soul.”

Located on 4.63ha in Thulimbah, 10 minutes north of Stanthorpe, the property includes a modernised four-bedroom residence, a cider and juice factory, a licensed cafe, and a processing kitchen tucked into a converted packing shed.

The Suttons began their journey as commercial orchardists before making a pivot in the early 2000s, selling juice and baked goods at farmers markets in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. The leap into direct-to-consumer food retail laid the foundation for what has become a regional success story, attracting tourists and loyal locals.

Now aged 77, Mr Sutton said it was time to hand over the reins.

“People come here from all over for that pie,” Mr Sutton said.

“It’s become the heart of the business.

“We built Sutton’s slowly, bit by bit, and it’s time to move on.

“We’ve bought a house in Stanthorpe and are looking forward to enjoying a quieter life.”

Apple a day? This pie cafe is on 4.63ha in Thulimbah, outside Stanthorpe. Picture: Ray White

Despite its rural charm, Sutton’s is a polished operation with modern branding, online sales, and all relevant food and liquor licences in place.

The listing includes all plant, equipment, intellectual property, and training support for the next owners.

Mr Mattiazzi said the scale of the operation, particularly the volume of apples processed on-site made it a rare find.

“Everyone talks about ‘farm-to-plate’ but Sutton’s lives it,” he said.

“There aren’t many small cafes that can say they peel and cook nearly a tonne of fruit every week and still make their pastry by hand.”

The listing has already attracted interest from lifestyle buyers and food entrepreneurs drawn to the business’s established reputation, consistent visitor traffic, and standout product.

Expressions of interest are now open.

Originally published as Sweet pie buy as Stanthorpe juice business ripe for the picking