Willabrand Figs: In the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia

In a pleasant valley, a few kilometres into the hills from Tea Tree Gully, Scottish orchardist, George McEwin established a factory and began producing a brand of jam that was to become a household name - Glen Ewin.

It all began in 1862 when George had too much fruit for market and it began to rot - so he turned it into jam and it was a hit. Within three months he was bringing in over a hundred tons of fruit and, at the height of the operation he was employing over 100 people.

He planted more figs and many of those trees are still on the property today. Much of the fruit was brewed in giant steam-jacketed copper pans before being packaged under famous brand names like Viking and King Urli. By the late 1980s the property had fallen on hard times but fortunately Willa Wauchope of Willabrand Figs has brought the operation back to life.

“When we took it over in 1991 and it was in a terrible state. So we've really nurtured the orchard back from nothing to where it is now. This year we are planting out the rest of the property to figs.”

Figs are again making a splash around the country. Thanks to Willa Wauchope, what was once regarded as "nana's" fruit - the sort you'd find in grandmother's backyard is making it's way onto the restaurant tables of Sydney, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

“Figs had a reputation of being Granny’s medicine and we've very much moved away from that. Figs also have a very exotic history - almost a biblical history too. Cleopatra used to bathe in goat's milk and her goat's milk was made into the finest goat's cheese in the land and that was done using the fig sap. I'm hoping to convince the Chinese that they're an aphrodisiac and then I think I'll be set,” Willa laughed.

“I also have a philosophy about the progression of the (three) biblical fruits - the grape, the olive and the fig. The grapes have had their day, olives are having their day and figs are about to have their day.”

And they'll continue to, as long as Willa continues to coat them in a tide of chocolate. The taste buds are teased relentlessly as he and his good mate DP keep the chocolate-fig assembly line moving on.

In 2003, Willa's passion for figs won him the Premier's Food Award. Today we can share that passion through the entire range of Willabrand Fig products - from the chocolate dipped creations through to the fig and fruit log. They are all on sale at Glen Ewin at Houghton, at the Central Market and other quality food outlets. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Willabrand Figs
Available at Glen Ewin Estate
Lower Hermitage Road
Houghton
Open weekdays, weekends by appointment.

Also available at Adelaide Central Market