A local bakery business capable of producing more than 30 million slices of banana bread each year has opened its 25,790sqm new manufacturing facility on the Sunshine Coast.
Australian-owned Country Chef’s new $30 million facility, which is about the size of three-and-a-half football fields, was officially opened at the Sunshine Coast Industrial Park in Caloundra on Tuesday.
As one of the largest bakeries in Australia, Country Chef’s re-investment in the region is worth an anticipated direct and indirect economic impact of more than $250 million and 600 new full-time equivalent local jobs annually.
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Country Chef chief operating officer Dion Nolan said the new facility would enable it to continue serving customers Australia-wide, including Woolworths, Coles, Qantas, Foodservice Distributors, 7-Eleven and Metcash IGA Supermarkets.
“Not to mention the 700,000 Australian mouths who eat our baked banana bread every day,” Mr Nolan said.
“We use over 20 million cavendish bananas each year, grown in the Innisfail and Tully regions. These are the ‘seconds’ produce, due to their size or shape, and give our bread its distinct sweet banana flavour.
“Country Chef pavlova production starts to build from June, when we employ a further seasonal workforce in order to supply over eight million pavlovas across Australia for Christmas and the summer season.
“Setting up in a designated biosphere, we have sustainable initiatives in the works as well – solar is coming, light mapping and more.
“Now that we have made the move, workforce recruitment is now our focus, and we look forward to providing employees a safe and sustainability conscious workplace.”
Country Chef started in 1952 and has operated in many Queensland locations, gradually branching into sliced banana bread that was sold through Woolworths stores.
It has achieved significant growth and in 2020, having reached maximum capacity at its sites in Kunda Park and Forest Glen, the business sought to consolidate its four current manufacturing operations (three on the Sunshine Coast and one in Sydney) into one new site.
Its move to Caloundra was supported through Sunshine Coast Council’s Economic Resurgence Plan. The plan was established in response to COVID-19 to provide support to local business and to assist with the economic recovery of the region, by accelerating large shovel-ready projects.
Mayor Mark Jamieson celebrated the opening of Country Chef’s new premises with a tour of the facility.
“This is a nationally and internationally recognised corporate brand. Their continued growth, right here on the Sunshine Coast, driven by their embracing innovation and technology, effectively reinforces the value propositions council promoted through its Invest Sunshine Coast initiative,” Cr Jamieson said.
“This is an important reason for council to support the retention and expansion of highly successful businesses like Country Chef within the region, and notably a major contributor to the Sunshine Coast’s already $900 million food and agribusiness industry.
“Country Chef was a graduate of the Sunshine Coast Council’s Export and Global Capability Program, which identified real export growth opportunities to 10 countries including Japan, Canada and Singapore.”
Country Chef assessed locations for its new facility and faced competition from other sites across Australia, but the Sunshine Coast, its preferred home, won out.
For more on Country Chef click here.
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