Award-winning Manjimup Walnut producer reintroduces highly nutritious walnut oil to the market

Multi-award winning local walnut producers Omega Walnuts are moving into walnut oil, which they say has the strong support of commercial chefs. After a bumper two-years of harvest, Omega Walnuts intend to utilise their surplus stock to produce an oil they believe is perfect for cooking and incredibly beneficial for a balanced diet. Having produced a first batch of walnut oil a few years prior, owner David Williams is confident the product will be well-received on the retail market. “There’s a number of Western Australian chefs who have raved about our walnuts and have used our oil,” he said. “It’s just a really good oil to cook with. “It’s more subtle than olive oil and we cook everything with it.” A freak hailstorm in late-December 2020 halted the family-owned business’ oil production operations after their stock levels plummeted to a mere 12 tonne in 2021 from 100 tonne the year prior. “Like any farming operation it was a big kickback,” he said. “Because we had a good harvest in the last two years, we again have an abundance of good product so we can turn our attention back to it.” David and his wife Noellene first realised the enormous potential of walnuts more than 20 years ago, planting their first trees in Nannup in 2002. They have since expanded their knowledge, plantings, and land holdings — acquiring the Manjimup farm in 2009 where they grow more than 20,000 trees — and have won the prestigious WA Delicious Award twice. Mr Williams said it was the region’s climate and health benefits that originally attracted the couple to walnuts. “Walnuts are probably one of the best nuts and one of the best foods for your health,” he said. “A handful of walnuts a day is a big part of a balanced diet and fills you up as well so you get pretty good bang for your buck. “Walnut kernel has a very high oil content, it ranges from 58 to 72 per cent, so if you’ve got good kernel and you’ve got a good extraction process then you’ll have good oil and the oil will have so many good qualities.” Due to a lack of facility in Western Australia, Omega Walnuts will send their produce to Queensland in the coming months to have it pressed into oil however they are working with the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia to find an alternative solution closer to home. Mr Williams said he is committed to innovation within the industry, intending for the collaboration with FIFPWA to lead to a facility that can be utilised by nut and seed producers across the state. “At the moment there is unfortunately no pressing facility in WA that is suitable for nuts and I hope we can address that over the next few years. It certainly won’t happen in 2023.”