The South Australian Pioneers Changing the Way We Think About Carob

Nestled on their family’s organic orchard in Port Elliot, South Australia, The Carob Kitchen has become a pioneer of the industry. Since establishing in 1997, the orchard is now home to 3,500 carob trees and the oldest organic carob operation in Australia.

What began as a bold decision to do something different quickly evolved into something far bigger. As founder David Solomon explains, “We ultimately decided to grow carob, not as a hobby, but as something different, and it’s become much bigger than we ever imagined.”

Today, their organic orchard utilises innovative machine-harvesting methods that set them apart from traditional, labour-intensive hand harvesting still used in many other carob-producing countries, with sustainability still sitting at the heart of every decision.

“We’re naturally sustainable here. The whole carob pod gets used, the only watering we use is during summer on the trees, and in terms of manufacturing, we try and source everything first and foremost from South Australia,” says Sophie Richards.

The result is a range of products that feel both considered and contemporary, rooted in place and process.

The Carob Kitchen’s growth (they now export to NZ, Dubai and Japan) has been fuelled not only by innovation, but by a strong sense of community.

“South Australia has a really good support network,” Sophie explains. “Our consumers are very parochial, even our supermarkets and smaller retailers support us because we’re South Australian, and that has helped the growth and future of the brand.”

For the founders, the work is more than a business. It’s a labour of love.

Find out more about The Carob Kitchen here.