At The Peanut Place we follow on from the early origins of the peanut which are believed to have commenced on the slopes of the Andes in Brazil and Peru. Anthropologists working on the slopes have discovered the earliest-known evidence of peanut farming dating back an amazing 7600 years. Portuguese traders, explorers and missionaries were the first to export the humble peanut through, firstly Africa and Spain and then to The New World , where they were planted extensively throughout the southern hemisphere making their way to Australia in the mid 19th century thanks to some Chinese immigrants during the Palmer River gold rush in North Queensland. The first commercial crops were planted in the Atherton Tableland s region in the early 20th century thanks to the rich volcanic soil, abundance of water and good farming techniques. Queensland now produces 95% of all commercially grown peanuts in Australia.

The Peanut Place was established as the brain child of Jeff Herbohn centrally located in this rich peanut growing region to promote and market the local Hi Oleic peanut on a local level as well as establishing a firm international market of all fresh whole peanuts along with an extensive selection of the flavoured varieties and the ever popular locally produced peanut butter available in crunchy, smooth, salted and un-salted with no added sugar, preservatives or palm oil, making it a healthy alternative to the commercially produced product.

Peanut oil is also a favorite at The Peanut Place thanks to a number of major advantages over other forms of oils used in the food industry. It withstands higher temperatures without burning or breaking down and has a high flash point (282 degrees Celsius), which makes it ideal for deep frying. Peanut Oil also has neutral flavour and odour and does not absorb odours from other foods. This makes it especially suited for use in pastries, breads, shortening, margarine, mayonnaise and other salad dressings.