Nuttelex was making plant-based food long before the term became a supermarket category. Established in 1932, the Australian family-owned business has built a history spanning generations of household shoppers. Its appearance on Industry Leaders, featuring Geoff Long and John Rishworth, brought a human face to that enduring brand.
The television feature provided the occasion to look beyond the spread container and examine a broader business story: an established food manufacturer extending its range while retaining the products on which its reputation was built.
Today, Nuttelex’s portfolio includes spreads, plant-based milks and liquid stocks. That expansion marks a new chapter for a company whose origins lie in providing an alternative to butter.
A history built around an everyday product
Nuttelex began as a Melbourne operation producing dairy-free spreads. Over the decades, its development has included changes to recipes, the removal of nuts from spread production and the introduction of its distinctive cube-shaped packaging. These are practical changes to an everyday product, encompassing both what goes into the container and how it is used.
Its range now serves both household consumers and professional kitchens. The foodservice offering includes Australian-made, dairy-free, vegan-friendly products intended for cooking and baking, extending the brand’s application beyond the breakfast table.
That combination of continuity and product development gives the Nuttelex story its business significance. The company has retained its longstanding connection with spreads while applying its manufacturing experience to additional food categories.
Manufacturing investment behind the brand
The expansion has a physical foundation in Victoria.
In July 2023, the City of Casey marked the groundbreaking for Nuttelex’s second manufacturing facility at Rangebank Business Park in Cranbourne West. At the time, the council said the development was expected to create 40 jobs. That figure was a projection associated with the project, rather than a confirmed employment outcome.
John Rishworth, identified in the council announcement as Nuttelex’s Director of Sales, Marketing and Innovations, linked the investment to local employment and the company’s development in the municipality. The project was supported through the council’s business facilitation service.
More recently, a post shared by Nuttelex documented a visit to its Cranbourne West facilities by then industry minister Ed Husic. The account identified Geoff Long as CEO and described investment in production automation, alongside a commitment to sourcing inputs from local suppliers.
Together, these developments give substance to the company’s expansion: new products accompanied by investment in the capacity to manufacture them.
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