Recently celebrating its 100-year anniversary, Nutroasters has spent a century as a family-run business devoted to the art of roasting nuts. What began in 1925 as a simple passion project has grown into an internationally recognised household brand, known for its commitment to quality and artisan technique.
Nutroasters’ story began with the Afiouny siblings’ great-grandfather, who started experimenting with roasting nuts at home in Turkey in the 1920s. “He got involved with my great-grandmother and then [they] started making them better at home. Oven baking them, toasting them, trialling a few different processes,” Mohamed recalls. The couple began selling small batches, unknowingly laying the groundwork that would shape a century of family history.
After moving to Lebanon, the Afiouny siblings’ grandfather married their grandmother and opened a store in Tripoli with his brothers. Selling fire-roasted nuts, spices, and sweets, the family quickly built a reputation for quality and craftsmanship within their community – a legacy that their father, Ghassan ‘Jimmy’ Afiouny, carried on when he brought the business to Australia in the late 1960s.
At the age of 9, my grandfather dropped my father off at school in Lebanon. By the time my grandfather got back to the shop, my father was already there waiting for him. He refused to go to school - he wanted to work. He left school at 9 and never looked back.
In Australia, Jimmy worked anywhere he could: selling nuts at local community events, selling bread bread door-to-door, and eventually roasting nuts from the family garage using a concrete mixer and gas burner.
Jimmy also helped introduce Australians to flavours they’d never encountered. Many were hesitant at first.
"Back then, when Dad would give samples of nuts to customers, some of them were Anglo-Saxon and English, and they’d look at him and say, 'what’s this?' The only real nut they knew back then was maybe a peanut …which was really, in peanut butter…not the nut itself."
Still, Jimmy persisted. Just as the Lubrano family of Sandhurst Fine Foods introduced Australians to Italian antipasto, the Afiounys reframed how Australians think about nuts — proving what can be achieved when passion meets craft.
“Dad really was part of the evolution of transforming the nut industry in Australia. He was a pivotal part in influencing how us Aussies eat nuts to this day,” Mohamed reflects. “We broke barriers, we pushed through, we persevered and aimed to educate people about the craft of roasting.”
As their reputation grew, so did the business. Encouraged by his wife (Mohamed’s mother), Jimmy eventually opened the family’s first shop in Greenacre. “Dad was the engine of Nutroasters, instilling in us the philosophy of hard work… but Mum was the rock behind the scenes — the brains, the glue, the support that held the family together. Whenever Dad would say, ‘I don't want to open up a shop, what if we fail?’ Mum would push him, push him, push him. Her support gave Dad the strength to grow the business - without her, Nutroasters wouldn’t be what it is today.”
For Mohamed and his siblings, the shop was a second home. “I remember as kids, my brother and I would go to the kri-kri machine and to make it look like we were working hard, we’d just cover ourselves in flour — our clothes, hair, everything — because that’s exactly how Dad used to come home,” he laughs.
Though a century has passed, Nutroasters’ core techniques remain unchanged. Small-batch roasting continues to be a cornerstone of their process, alongside meticulous attention to detail.
Mohamed’s advice for home cooks reflects the same ethos. “Different nuts have varying oil and moisture levels. Macadamias are rich in oil, almonds less so, and pistachios retain more moisture in the shell. It’s imperative to test every batch. Taste it, split it, look at the colour. We treat every batch differently, which is why we are so consistent.”
Their most sacred rule, however, comes from Jimmy — and it’s a non-negotiable. “Dad’s number one rule is that you sift the nuts from the skin. If there is skin, like on hazelnuts, you have to sift them four times; twice before roasting, and then twice after. This ensures that every nut that’s roasted and packaged is the same size, same look, same colour and same flavour for consistency.”
Looking ahead, Mohamed hopes future generations continue their legacy and craft with the same passion, while embracing the broader cultural traditions of the communities around them.
Food really does break barriers and boundaries, and sharing your traditions with other cultures can help educate them about your own.
“That’s where we went right with Nutroasters…sharing the art of roasting with the broader community. Food brings people together.”
Above all, gratitude remains at the heart of Nutroasters - for the community, customers, and especially their long-standing team. “Nutroasters would be nothing without them,” he reflects.
From a small family kitchen in the 1920s to an internationally respected name today, Nutroasters is a testament to 100 years of craftsmanship and dedication. “Keeping the tradition alive means everything to us. It’s our life, our passion…and it’s paramount to ensure our legacy continues”.
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