 A Commitment To Quality
The Peanut
Van has always been committed to quality.
Way back in
1985 we took our entire production process in-house so that we could
ensure our customers got the very best peanut products we could possibly
make. And we continue that commitment to this day.
Here's an outline
of exactly what we do:
Why The Peanut
Van's Peanuts Are The Best (and Freshest!) You Can Buy
 To begin with, we
only purchase jumbo-size peanuts. These come directly from the Peanut
Company of Australia, the central processor for Kingaroy's peanut farmers.
PCA are located just a few blocks from us right here in Australia's peanut
capital - and jumbo grade are the highest quality nut they sell (less
than 27% of any crop!)
Even so, we
then hand-sieve and re-grade these peanuts to be 100% certain
that only the best ones are used. Anything that doesn't measure up
to our own standards is discarded.
And although
we buy on contract from PCA, we never purchase more than a week's supply
at any time. Why? To ensure maximum freshness right at the
outset.
Then we hand-cook
our flavoured and salted varieties in weekly batches before packing
them into air-tight bags. This is so we can be certain they're as
fresh as they possibly can be by the time they reach our customers'
hands. (Other varieties - such as cooked in shell and sugar-coated peanuts
- are generally cooked the night before. You simply can't get any
fresher than this!)
Nitpicking?
We sure are! And we apply the same level of meticulous attention
to our other ingredients as well.
For instance,
we only use pure vegetable oils for cooking. We even purchase our
own special salt directly from a Queensland salt supplier to ensure that
no residual salt is retained by either the peanuts or the packaging.
The same applies
to our peanut paste which is prepared on our premises as needed. Our
peanut paste contains absolutely no additives (such as emulsifiers,
preservatives, added oil or salt). Just pure, perfect Kingaroy peanuts!
NB:
The Peanut Van was one of the first companies in Australia to pioneer
flavouring peanuts. Our unique recipes for Kurry, Savoury Tomato,
Hickory, Smoked and BBQ flavoured nuts have never been successfully duplicated
- though many have tried. Once again, our flavourings are 100% natural
and made from only the purest and freshest ingredients we can
obtain.
A Commitment
To Australia
The Peanut
Van is a 100% Australian-owned enterprise, and we go to great lengths
to ensure that everything we buy or sell is 100% Australian as
well.
This applies
not only to our peanuts and food lines, but also to our souvenirs
- many of which are unique to us, and all of them supplied by other 100%
Australian-owned companies.
Above:
Our Pumpkin Scone teatowel is a perennial
favourite with Peanut Van visitors
Part of this
"Buy Australian" approach comes from our desire to help other small businesses
achieve their potential. We really think small business is the backbone of
Australia - and it's certainly the backbone of most country towns.
But another
is that we simply find Australian products (particularly in the souvenir
field) are much better quality than imported souvenirs. And we
always want our customers to get the very best!
A Commitment
To The Environment
Last of all
- but by no means least - The Peanut Van is 100% committed to the
environment.
Our founder
Ruth Davis was a dedicated environmentalist long before she started The Peanut
Van (and long before it even became fashionable). From her very earliest
days she spent a lot of her spare time picking up rubbish and litter from
around the Van and the adjoining parklands - even from across the
street.
She also agitated
with the local Council to install litter bins in the Van's vicinity. And
when she began hiring staff she made "emu parading" (ie picking up litter)
one of the regular duties of everyone who works with us.
Each Monday
we shampoo the outdoor carpeting around the Van, and the Van itself is regularly
hosed down and kept spotless. Our road signs are also kept in immaculate
condition and never allowed to become shabby or dilapidated.
We regularly
mow the grass around them too - and we look on both these efforts as our
small, continuous contribution to helping keep Australia beautiful.
The same applies
to our manufacturing: the only wastes we generate are the reject
peanuts and peanut dust that come from picking and sorting as we prepare
our products (and they're both bio-degradable)
The polyethylene
and paper bags that our peanuts are delivered to us in are used by our staff,
family and friends for pets' bedding, floormats and rubbish bags.
The vegetable
cooking oil drums we use are eagerly sought after by locals for farm storage;
the vegetable oils are recycled; and all our cardboard packaging is given
to recyclers too.
Next:
Some
of the Awards we've received
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