Get to Know Where Your Pineapples Come From

We work with around 30 contracted pineapple growers in Queensland to source the very finest Aussie pineapples, all canned locally at our factory in Northgate, Brisbane where Golden Circle originally began operations in 1947.

Growing quality pineapples takes time and we rely on our farmers’ labour of love to ensure we get the best pineapples that end up in burgers, smoothies, salsa and desserts across a range of hospitality venues.

The farm harvests around 4.5 million pineapples each year. Each pineapple plant produces two or three pineapples in its four-year lifespan. The first pineapple will be ready within two years and the second harvest (ratoon crop) another 18 months later, will produce either one or two pineapples.

For over a century, the Fullerton family have been harvesting pineapples in the Glasshouse Mountains region of Queensland where they have developed their legacy into something truly special.

Ken Fullerton is a fourth-generation pineapple farmer; his son also works on the farm part-time as he pursues his studies at university. 

This mountain region of Queensland is a great spot for growing pineapples due to its healthy volcanic soil and warm weather. Pineapple tops are planted twice a year. The first crop in July to September, with an estimated one million pineapple tops planted. 

The second planting is from November to January, where they plant another 1.25 million pineapple tops. Both crops are harvested two years after planting.

After the first pineapple from each plant is picked, a second pineapple is grown on the same plant over the next 18 months. The tops of the grown pineapples are planted back in the ground for the future year’s harvest. 

Diligent planning, and care means Ken can work out the dates for ripening and spread it out across the harvesting windows. Preparing the freshly picked pineapples for shipment takes no more than a few hours. 

Every day, the bins are loaded onto semi-trailers for the short journey from Ken’s fields to the cannery, where the canning in some instances can take place the same day they were picked. 

Ken credits his family and their many hardworking staff for their success.

“I am proud of our team we work well together with great communication, dedication and hard work,” he says.

Hear from Ken below as he takes a group of chefs through a quick-fire lesson on Aussie pines.