Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to have a highly skilled and motivated team, thus ensuring that the best farming pracitices will always be utilized.  We strive to improve our farming practices in a natural environmentally firendly way.

Our mission is to supply first class quality cherries to the local and export markets, by adhering stringent quality control measure and trace ability as laid down by SGS HACCP.

About Hillston

Hillston is in the Riverina 110km north west of Griffith in NSW.  It is situated on the banks of the Lachlan River.  The area is known for it's diverse agriculture namely Cherries, potatoes, pumpkins,melons, cotton, citrus, almonds, olives and large scale dryland cropping and livestock.

Hillston is a warm and friendly town, with 2 primary and 1 secondary school, Police station, Hospital, Doctor, 4 churches, well equipped Library with internet access, 2 grocery stores, 1 butcher, 3 automotive workshops,      auto smash repairs, public swimming pool, 2 pubs, 1 ex-servicemenss club and 2 banks CBA & Bendigo and many other sporting amenities and activities supported by a multicultural population.


History

Cherry growing has been in the Gaudion family for the past three generations.  Barry Gaudion and sons Jon & Adam have orchards located in the Yarra Valley and Berrigan, gowing under the Cherry King trademark.

In 1992 Jon started witha small trial block in Hillston, at present there is 600 acres planted with further development of 400 acres in progress.  Even though cherries are normally grown in much cooler southern climates.  They have been able to source and grow varieties suitable for a hotter climate, this gives them exclusive rights to the Marvin Neis varieties which includes Early Garnet, Garnet, Giant Ruby and Late Garnet.

Cherry King Hillston is the earliest commercial orchard in Australia,where our picking season runs from late October to November in Hillston a period of around six weeks.  This usually allows our pickers to then progress from Hillston to  Cherry King Berrigan and Alexandria, which only starts picking from mid November to mid January.

All our season work is supplied by contractors who supply pickers for Cherry King.

Our cherries are hand picked and we adhere strictly to the cool chain process from paddock to point of distribution.  Cherries enter the cool chain process when they are cooled to 5 degrees as soon as they are bought in from the field, they are then loaded onto trucks and transported to Cherry King pack house loacated in Griffith 135km away.  They are processed in less than 24 hours ensuring otimum ripeness and taste.

We are currently servicing local supermarkets - Woolworth's, Coles and export markets through Europe & Asia.