South Australians have always been proud of our local food folks, so when a household name like Charlesworth Nuts achieves 90 years and four generations in the family business, it makes us all proud.

Brett Charlesworth says this longevity owes much to the fact that, from day one in 1934, the Charlesworth family have specialised in nuts – and he always wanted to be part of it.

“I started working fulltime at 16, the day after I finished my final high school exam, and have never looked back,” Brett says.

We have to ask, 70 years later, what keeps things for someone like Brett as fresh as the freshly roasted nuts proudly offered to customers every day? Brett says his current role leading the Charlesworth team is the most rewarding, because of “the fantastic and talented people we have making our products, and the caring and happy people we have selling them.”

150 delicious products available, we put Brett on the spot and asked him, if he could only eat one product from Charlesworth Nuts for the rest of his life, what would it be? “Salted macadamias are exquisite, so rich and buttery,” he begins, but then adds Salted Peanuts because of childhood memories… oh yes, and he’s currently enjoying a ration of eight Raspberry Lolly Chocs for dessert every night.

One thing we didn’t know is that a sense of humour is part of the recipe for success in the nut-roasting business. “I’ve heard, "How's your nuts?" or "You must be nuts!" or "Do you have crushed nuts?" plus a thousand other nut joke variations,” says Brett.” If you can't beat 'em join 'em,” he continues.

“I'm a big believer in ‘having fun’ being an important part of work and maybe that all started because when you sell nuts it's hard to avoid having fun.”

Charlesworth Nuts has been part of Colonnades since the Centre opened in 1979 and part of Elizabeth City Centre since 1985. Their latest store opened in Castle Plaza in 2022.

Brett remembers when his father Chappy introduced in-store roasting back in the 1950s. He is immensely proud that this tradition continues, with a wide variety of nuts and nut mixes roasted in-store at all their 11 locations. There’s nothing reheated in a Charlesworth Nut store (except possibly a few of those nut jokes, but we can’t blame Brett for that!)

“We’re not 90 years “old”…we’re 90 years “young”.  It’s the best of both worlds. As specialists in nuts, fruits, and chocolates, we have all the knowledge, experience, and expertise that 4 generations and 90 years have given us. But we’re still filled with the same youthful passion, energy, and positivity that my grandparents Herb and Doris Charlesworth had when, as a young married couple, they opened our first store at the Adelaide Central Market on the 26th of March 1934.  As good as our first 90 years have been, the best is still to come. We couldn’t be more excited about our future.”

• A quote from Charlesworth Nuts’ CEO – Brett Charlesworth.