Getting My Nut Butter Fix: Valhalla Macadamia Nut Farm in Antigua

You know when I was a kid, I never ate peanut butter. Not because I thought there was anything wrong with it, actually I don’t even recall knowing it existed until the age of thirteen. That seems pretty crazy to most of you, right? Peanut butter isn’t big in England like it is in the States, and mainly it’s just wasn’t something that my family were all that keen on. When I was thirteen however, I had my first peanut butter and jam sandwich – and I was hooked.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that it’s not just peanut butter that I need a regular fix of, it’s all kinds of nut butters. Oh yes. Delicious, creamy, nutty, sticky nut butters. If I was going to run a business, it would definitely be selling homemade, organic, one-ingredient nut and seed butters – that’s another story though. With my nut butter obsession right out in the open now, you can imagine how crazy excited I was when I read that not only is there a macadamia nut farm in Antigua, but they also sell jars of macadamia nut butter!

Needless to say, top of my travel to-do list in Antigua was a visit to the Valhalla Macadamia Nut Farm.

Where Macadamia Nuts Come From

Macadamia nuts grow on trees. It seems kind of obvious when you think about it, but more of a challenge to comprehend if you’ve never actually seen nuts growing on trees. Macadamias are a type of evergreen tree which has glossy dark green leaves and tiny white macadamia flowers. The nuts can be harvested all year round but the peak harvest season in between September and February. The nuts are encased in a dark husk and a hard brown shell underneath that.

Sustainable Macadamia Nut Farming

Macadamia nuts are grown organically and sustainably at the Valhalla Macadamia Nut Farm. The project has planted over 350,000 macadamia trees for the indigenous communities in Guatemala, seeking to provide them with a sustainable living and an alternative to the slash and burn method. The macadamia nut farming project is committed to sustainable practices that conserve the environment, including soil and water conservation, use only local resources, and improve the genetic varieties of macadamia nut trees.

Macadamia nut farm antigua - nuts drying out - charlie on travel

Breakfast at the Macadamia Nut Farm

I definitely recommend visiting the macamadia nut farm in the morning so that you can grab some delicious macadamia nut pancakes for breakfast. The pancakes are part-made from macadamia nut flour and come topped with lashings of sticky macadamia nut butter and a dollop of sweet blueberry jam.

Eating pancakes at Valhalla Macadamia Nut Farm

How to Get to Valhalla Macadamia Nut Farm

The farm is located 10-15 minutes outside of Antigua in the neighbouring town of San Miguel Duenas. You can take a bus going to San Miguel Dueñas or a tuk-tuk out of Antigua to the farm, which takes around 10-15 minutes. There’s a small sign visible from the side of the road that leads you up a sandy path, through some trees and into the farm.

What’s your favourite kind of nut butter? Have you ever tried macadamia nut butter?