Our Story
We have grown into a National business & a leader in fresh potatoes & onion supply domestically & for export. We are now 3rd generation growers with knowledge passed down directing our business into the future.
Guido & Robert Cerchiaro are on a mission to offer the best and freshest produce ‘from the heart of the land’. From our paddocks around Australia to our customers plates every day we challenge ourselves of this motto ‘Can we do it – YES ABSOLUTELY WE CAN!
“I have a view that in all human affairs there are efforts & results & the strength of the effort is measured by the results. Chance is not”.
With the realisation that the opportunities lay in our ‘healthy fresh food offer’ taking our business into the new era as a Father & son team won’t be easy, fresh produce is never easy, but it’s what we know & certainly love. We believe we have the support from our existing staff, suppliers, growers & customers to continue the success. Business & fresh produce waits for no-one & it’s a race against the clock every day to get our produce from the farms & pack house to the store in the shortest & most efficient amount of time.
According to a Gembrook icon of the potato industry and a descendant of the original founding family of Red Gem, Julian Dyer informed us that Red Gem was one of the 1st to ever wash & pre-pack fresh potatoes in Australia.
We have a rich history which can now be safely continued as a result of this buyout, based in Nar Nar Goon we are a long time supplier of potato & onion varieties to the major retail & wholesale trade is excited by the suite of the latest potato varieties that are exclusive & have been bred & selected with the consumer as the primary focus, all have beautiful textures, good flavour attributes enhancing their eating quality, with visual characteristics of regular shapes, smooth skin & bright colour. New products & varieties are the life blood of the vegetable category & potatoes ranked in the top two, they have a responsibility to convert more consumers to buy & increase consumption from the current buyers & drive the total vegetable category. Our potato varieties emanate from one of the world’s largest potato breeder which need to translate into commercial viability & value for the consumer & viability for our growing operations. Today without any doubt we have some of the Australia best performing varieties being grown, sold & eaten eg Mozart & Crème Royale. Our latest products include ‘Red Gem’ Sweet Potatoes & washed potato pillow pre-packs & Baking Jacket Potato trays as a meal solution for today’s contemporary consumers.
Our great business relationships over 60 years have been based on a promise of a fair & equitable relationship that is planned together. Now as a Father & Son duo owning 100% of the business we have a new set of internal motivation through the new ownership & that it’s with self-respect that we believe we are worthwhile & are making significant contribution to life , business & the community. We fought extremely hard to ensure this buyout considering the future of our staff, our suppliers & the local community. We now plan to reinvest heavily in our supply chain from our farms to our Packhouse. We look forward to engaging the local community as we strive for future success.
Look forward to the future together to support growth, success, innovation & hard work.
Regards,
Guido (MD) & Robert Cerchiaro (GM) & the Red Gem team.
Our History
Our ‘paddock to plate’ philosophy ensure the freshest approach to picking, packing and delivery from our various farm straight to your dinner table!
We grow more than 15 potato & onion varieties annually on 1000 acres (400 hectares) of land around Australia.
Our organisation has a passion & tradition for the products that it sells & a reputation for innovation. You can be assured that our products support our reputation & quality standards, with thanks to the commitment of our dedicated & loyal growers, staff & customers.
Red Gem Today
Our Process
We utilise the latest in technology in every step of the process, from picking through to final packaging.
Our organization has a passion for the products that it sells & a reputation for innovation. You can be assured that our products stand up to our reputation & quality standard, with the thanks to the commitment of our dedicated farms, growers, & staff.
Across all seasons, Red Gem supplies you washed & brushed potatoes, sweet potatoes & onions from our farms & dedicated growers including locations such as in Hillston ‘Riverina’ NSW, Gembrook ‘Dandenong Ranges’ VIC, Thorpdale & Mirboo North ‘Gippsland’ VIC, Portland VIC, Lake Mundi VIC, Atherton Tableland’s FNQ, Mount Gambier SA, Kalangadoo SA & more.
Our Farms
Sustainability & Technology
“It looks like rice is out and spuds are in, with findings indicating that basmati rice production uses around 100 times more water to produce than British-grown potatoes,” said Ausveg spokesperson, Felicity Powell.
The research, headed by Cranfield University principal research fellow Dr Adrian Williams, found that Indian basmati rice rated higher on greenhouse gas emissions and water use than British white potatoes and Italian pasta. This focus on international research and development (R&D) is featured in the October/November 2013 edition of top horticultural magazine, Potatoes Australia. “Producing basmati rice consumes more ‘blue water’ than potatoes, which refers to water withdrawn from surface and ground resources and not returned in the short term,” said Ms Powell. Italian pasta has around three times the potential impact on water use, compared with British-grown potatoes on a fresh weight basis.
The potato has also been found to be more nutritious than its carbohydrate competitors, proving a great source of potassium. Potatoes also contain no cholesterol – an advantage for people suffering from cardiovascular concerns.
“The UK potato industry is working to communicate the benefits of potatoes to its government and consumers, to ensure that the humble spud is kept on families’ dinner plates right across the British Isles,” said Ms Powell.
Potatoes Australia is funded by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) using the National Potato Levy and matched funds from the Federal Government.
Cardinia Shire Primary Industry Agricultural Business of the year Winner
Cardinia Shire Business of the year winner
2007
Cardinia Shire Primary Industry Agricultural Business of the year Winner
2006
Aus Industry Innovation Award Winner: Microwave ready potatoes, Cardinia Shire Primary Industry Agricultural Business of the year Winner
2006
Australian Finalist: Transport Logistics
2005
Cardinia Shire Business of the year finalist
Our Awards
Community
Some of these events include; Relay for Life, Berwick Soup Van and a ‘Spudz in Schools’ program to help educate children and families about the health benefits of Potatoes in a fun and interactive way.
If prepared in a healthy way, potatoes are:
– An excellent source of vitamin C
– A good source of potassium (more than a banana!)
– A good source of vitamin B6
– Fat-, sodium- and cholesterol-free
– Only 110 calories per serving
Potatoes provide the carbohydrate, potassium and energy that we need to perform at our best. More energy-packed than any other popular vegetable, potatoes have even more potassium than a banana. Plus, there’s a potato option to fuel your body and brain throughout the day — whether you lead an active lifestyle or are competing with elite athletes.
POTATO NUTRITION FACTS
Vitamin C
Fiber
Vitamin B6
Iron
Potassium
Health Benefits
Our Fleet
Give us a wave next time you see us on the road!
Red Gem Growers & Packers Pty Ltd, located in Nar Nar Goon Victoria, has the healthy solution for you.
Our program aims to teach children the importance of eating fresh potatoes and encouraging families to cook them at home with their take home pack.
Red Gem will provide you with the best fresh baking spuds, information on how to prepare your spud, healthy topping suggestions, Red Gem Aprons, nutritional info to learn about healthy eating, and Red Gem sample pack of potatoes & Recipe sheet for each family to take home.
If you are interested in learning more about our Baked Spud Day for your school, Call Kerryn on (03) 5942 5205 or send an email to kcerchiaro@bigpond.com with your contact details, and we will send you out our brochure.
Spuds in Schools
Our History
Our ‘paddock to plate’ philosophy ensure the freshest approach to picking, packing and delivery from our various farm straight to your dinner table!
Red Gem Today
We grow more than 15 potato & onion varieties annually on 1000 acres (400 hectares) of land around Australia.
Our organisation has a passion & tradition for the products that it sells & a reputation for innovation. You can be assured that our products support our reputation & quality standards, with thanks to the commitment of our dedicated & loyal growers, staff & customers.
Our Process
We utilise the latest in technology in every step of the process, from picking through to final packaging.
Our organization has a passion for the products that it sells & a reputation for innovation. You can be assured that our products stand up to our reputation & quality standard, with the thanks to the commitment of our dedicated farms, growers, & staff.
Our Farms
Across all seasons, Red Gem supplies you washed & brushed potatoes, sweet potatoes & onions from our farms & dedicated growers including locations such as in Hillston ‘Riverina’ NSW, Gembrook ‘Dandenong Ranges’ VIC, Thorpdale & Mirboo North ‘Gippsland’ VIC, Portland VIC, Lake Mundi VIC, Atherton Tableland’s FNQ, Mount Gambier SA, Kalangadoo SA & more.
Sustainability & Technology
“It looks like rice is out and spuds are in, with findings indicating that basmati rice production uses around 100 times more water to produce than British-grown potatoes,” said Ausveg spokesperson, Felicity Powell.
The research, headed by Cranfield University principal research fellow Dr Adrian Williams, found that Indian basmati rice rated higher on greenhouse gas emissions and water use than British white potatoes and Italian pasta. This focus on international research and development (R&D) is featured in the October/November 2013 edition of top horticultural magazine, Potatoes Australia. “Producing basmati rice consumes more ‘blue water’ than potatoes, which refers to water withdrawn from surface and ground resources and not returned in the short term,” said Ms Powell. Italian pasta has around three times the potential impact on water use, compared with British-grown potatoes on a fresh weight basis.
The potato has also been found to be more nutritious than its carbohydrate competitors, proving a great source of potassium. Potatoes also contain no cholesterol – an advantage for people suffering from cardiovascular concerns.
“The UK potato industry is working to communicate the benefits of potatoes to its government and consumers, to ensure that the humble spud is kept on families’ dinner plates right across the British Isles,” said Ms Powell.
Potatoes Australia is funded by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) using the National Potato Levy and matched funds from the Federal Government.
Our Awards
Cardinia Shire Primary Industry Agricultural Business of the year Winner
Cardinia Shire Business of the year winner
2007
Cardinia Shire Primary Industry Agricultural Business of the year Winner
2006
Aus Industry Innovation Award Winner: Microwave ready potatoes, Cardinia Shire Primary Industry Agricultural Business of the year Winner
2006
Australian Finalist: Transport Logistics
2005
Cardinia Shire Business of the year finalist
Community
Some of these events include; Relay for Life, Berwick Soup Van and a ‘Spudz in Schools’ program to help educate children and families about the health benefits of Potatoes in a fun and interactive way.
Health Benefits
If prepared in a healthy way, potatoes are:
– An excellent source of vitamin C
– A good source of potassium (more than a banana!)
– A good source of vitamin B6
– Fat-, sodium- and cholesterol-free
– Only 110 calories per serving
Potatoes provide the carbohydrate, potassium and energy that we need to perform at our best. More energy-packed than any other popular vegetable, potatoes have even more potassium than a banana. Plus, there’s a potato option to fuel your body and brain throughout the day — whether you lead an active lifestyle or are competing with elite athletes.
POTATO NUTRITION FACTS
Vitamin C
Fiber
Vitamin B6
Iron
Potassium
Our Fleet
Give us a wave next time you see us on the road!
Spuds in Schools
Red Gem Growers & Packers Pty Ltd, located in Nar Nar Goon Victoria, has the healthy solution for you.
Our program aims to teach children the importance of eating fresh potatoes and encouraging families to cook them at home with their take home pack.
Red Gem will provide you with the best fresh baking spuds, information on how to prepare your spud, healthy topping suggestions, Red Gem Aprons, nutritional info to learn about healthy eating, and Red Gem sample pack of potatoes & Recipe sheet for each family to take home.
If you are interested in learning more about our Baked Spud Day for your school, Call Kerryn on (03) 5942 5205 or send an email to kcerchiaro@bigpond.com with your contact details, and we will send you out our brochure.
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Contact
| Address: | 63 Nar Nar Goon Rd. Nar Nar Goon Vic. 3812 |
| Phone: | (03) 5942 5205 |
| Fax: | (03) 5942 5448 |
| Email: | robertc@redgem.com.au |