From selling watermelons on the roadside to becoming Australia’s largest chilli producer, founder and managing director, David DePaoli, has always been driven by innovation, quality and vision.
In 1995, David recognised the untapped potential for chillies in Australia and set out to create a new kind of agribusiness – one focused on value-added products, long-term partnerships and sustainable farming.
AustChilli’s very first customers, including some of the biggest names in food, are still with them today, three decades later, because they believe in treating every customer, big or small, with the same dedication and commitment to building lasting relationships.
What began with a small team of five has grown into a major employer in the Bundaberg region, supplying fresh chillies 52 weeks a year and creating more than 100 innovative products enjoyed in over 10 countries.
David said their values remain the same: respect every customer, think outside the box and care for the land that sustains us.
“The sky isn’t the limit, space is – next stop: AustChilli food products on the menu in space,” he said.
“We pride ourselves on doing things differently – things that have never been done before.
“Whether it’s providing customers with new-to-world food products, uncovering new food trends, innovative farming practices, or creating robotic machinery to deliver operational efficiencies.”
Farming is definitely in the DePaoli blood with David’s Nonno, Angelo, a farmer in Italy followed by David’s father, Giovanni, a sugar cane farmer in Bundaberg and now David and his son Trent – who is part of the business today.
The AustChilli team recently celebrated their 30th anniversary with great food, plenty of laughs and some spirited lawn bowls matches – all with the incredible team who’ve made this journey possible.
“Here’s to 30 years of hard work, big ideas and the people who make AustChilli what it is today.”
