The Nut Shop Information

The Nut Shop is a family run business, established in 1939 by Karl Mendels, father and grandfather to the present owners. The original shop in The Strand Arcade is still open for business, and a popular stop for tourists and locals alike to purchase our famous Vienna Almonds and Chocolate Macadamias. Our factory and factory outlet is located in Sydney's Waterloo, a stone's throw from the CBD. Some may still remember Karl, pictured here, cooking the Vienna Almonds (known as Vanilla Almonds during the war) by hand in large copper pans, the delicious smell wafting through the Arcade and out into the streets of Sydney. In the early 1950's more products were added, including marzipan, chocolate coated orange peel, brandy prunes, chocolate hazelnuts and in the later years our chocolate macadamias. Click here to watch a short video on the The Nut Shop, including interviews with Paul and Dan Mendels. Eventually the first factory was built in nearby Surry Hills to manufacture the growing range of nut and chocolate products. During the next two decades, both production and the number of Nut Shop outlets increased, however following Karl's death, many of these outlets were sold or franchised, keeping only the main 4 shops. The owners purchased a Macadamia farm at Lismore in northern NSW, to ensure continuity of supply. The 1980's saw the next generation - brother and sister Dan and Vicki - enter into the business, with Dan heading up the manufacturing side of the business and Vicki managing the administrative arm. The ever-growing popularity of Chocolate Macadamias soared, as did other Macadamia and Australian products for the tourist and Duty Free market. As the factory soon reached its capacity for both production and storage, there became an urgent need to find bigger premises in the vicinity of our City shops and the airport, for ease of delivery. We moved into our present purpose-built factory in Waterloo in 1995. The Nut Shop remains committed to manufacturing products to the highest standards and to providing a ...