Meet the grower

We caught up with Jenna, whom alongside her husband Tom are behind our latest almond milk obsession.

Whilst Mandolé Orchard was established in 2004, the family come from a long line of farmers (3rd generation) whom have been successfully farming in the Riverina for over 80 years. Father & son duo, Denis & Dean are the pioneers of almond farming in the region.

"All our products started in the kitchen; Tootie’s Kitchen". Too good to keep Tootie’s recipes to themselves, Tootie's son-in-law Tom and her daughter Jenna launched the Mandolé Orchard brand and the family’s single origin products into the market in 2019.

Jenna, what inspired you to launch Mandolé Orchard?

In a past life, whilst living and working in our corporate roles in Sydney, Tom and I turned to a healthier lifestyle which included incorporating more plant-based food into our diet. Trying to source a clean, fresh & delicious, almond milk like Tootie’s homemade milk was incredibly difficult and practically non-existent. It became apparent just how special and unique our family’s almond orchard was. Joining the family business - Mandolé Orchard was formed. From the original two products we launched with, our Unsweetened and Original Almond Milk blends, our range has grown to include our Barista, Chocolate and Coconut Almond Milk. Plus, we offer our Natural, Roasted and Lightly Salted Almonds and our recent addition: Smooth Almond Butter.

From the original: Unsweetened and Original Almond Milk blends, the range is growing to include our Barista, Chocolate and Coconut Almond Milk. Plus, we offer our Natural, Roasted and Lightly Salted Almonds and our recent addition: Smooth Almond Butter.

What do you believe sets your products apart from other competitors in the industry?

We are a small family owned and operated business and all our products are single origin, meaning they are not only Australian but they are traceable, back to our family farm. The almond milk we produce is not only fresh, but it is clean, and completely free of any nasties. It is also low in sugar, carbohydrates and calories and it is made with more almonds, which means more nutrition! There are many established brands, most of which are corporately owned, long life and contain the likes of gums, thickeners, emulsifiers and seed oils with only 2-3% almond content. Slowly people are beginning to recognise our difference. We couldn’t be more grateful for those who continue to support us and genuinely love and appreciate what we do. The level of awareness in our community is phenomenal – we love that more people continue to show greater consideration for brands they choose to support. Our packaging has been designed with its full life cycle in mind and is 100% recyclable. We also clean and redistribute the water that leaves our manufacturing facility back onto our orchard, a claim no other plant milk producer in Australia can make. We genuinely care about the environment and our place in it and as a result we have implemented multiple sustainable practices into the daily operation of our business. State of the art technology has reduced our water usage 30% below the industry average and our soil rejuvenation program actively improves overall tree health - thus producing a high-quality product.

We are working hard every day to ensure the way we farm and the way we manufacture has a positive impact on our planet, not only for ourselves and our environment but for future generations to come.