Peanut butter empire spreading out to take on world

Friday, 22 June 2018

From humble beginnings at the Nelson Market, Pic's now exports all around the country as well as the world.

A new home for Nelson's rapidly expanding peanut butter empire is taking shape.

Founder Pic Picot is excited about the new Saxton Rd factory that will house expanded production lines and Pic's Peanut Butter World, which will be a tourist destination when public tours begin in February next year.

Nelson peanut butter king Pic Picot is building a new massive factory, storage and distribution centre in Nelson.

Peanut butter production in the new factory is due to be up and running by October, but tours will have to wait a while longer as offices shift locations and additional building is finished.

Over 10 years, Picot's business has grown from selling jars of peanut butter at the Nelson markets to shipping out up to 10 large containers of different nut butters a week across New Zealand and the world.

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The new 2500 square metre factory is double the size of the current one and will allow visitors to see the entire peanut butter making process from a second floor viewing area.

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Picot said the new factory would keep up production to meet the increased demand for the company's products.

The 2500-square-metre factory building will be more than double the size of the two Pic's factories that currently operate at separate locations on Elms St, and will be right next to the 1200 sq m storage warehouse that is already in use.

He said the near-$10 million project was a joint venture between his business and Coman's construction, who have been busy working on the interior building of the factory.

Pic's has branched out into jams as well as collaborating with Lewis Road Creamery to make a peanut butter flavoured ice cream.

Picot said the new factory is designed to suit people touring the factory, with a second floor viewing area for people to see the entire peanut butter making process from giant silos roasting the peanuts to the labelling of jars. People will also be able to view Pic's workers making almond and cashew butter in separate parts of the factory.

Between rooms, Picot plans to have an area for people to brush up on their knowledge about Pic's with information and facts about the business.

Down a spiral staircase, he said a cafeteria and retail area selling Pic's food and products will be open to people touring and the public. His office on second floor will have a large glass window for him to wave at visitors below.

The huge circle entrance will soon have a glass door installed covered by the red Pic's star, and will big enough for the company's touring toaster caravan to fit through.

He said there will be plenty of parking available and the factory's location was also close to the Stoke Railway Reserve bike trail.

Picot said because the current factory tours that run three to four times a day with 15 people were 'always booked out', he will have to play new tours by ear.

The upgrade would be an exciting new attraction for the Nelson region, and he also believed it would benefit the community.

'I'm really looking forward to [the factory] being a community facility,' said Pic. 'I'm really passionate about encouraging people to come to Nelson.'