The decision to buy an abandoned olive grove back in the ‘90s was one backed by ‘all heart and very little research’ for Mount Zero’s Neil and Jane Seymour, according to their son and co-owner Richard.
‘My father Neil was made redundant from the public service he worked in for over 30 years in the 1990’s recession,’ Richard says. ‘When the dust settled, my parents found an ad in the paper for an abandoned olive grove, fell in love with it, and bought it quickly.’
Now, Mount Zero is an iconic brand and family-run business, offering a sweep of products — including extra virgin olive oil, pulses, grains, and pink lake salt — all sourced through sustainable and ethical farming practices.
The Mount Zero story actually began way back in 1946, when farmer and entrepreneur Jacob Friedman recognised the Wimmera/Grampians region as prime olive-growing country and began planting some of the first commercial olive groves in Australia. These days, Neil, Jane, and Richard Seymour still produce from the Wimmera and Grampians region, though they also work with other like-minded Victorian olive growers to produce some of Australia’s most awarded olives and olive oils.
Mount Zero’s products are highly regarded among chefs, gourmands, and home-cooking foodies alike. ‘When I was at uni, I would help out with sales of oil and olives,’ Richard recalls. ‘While we had some traction with some great independent retailers, it was chefs who really engaged in the freshness and quality of what we were producing.’
Mount Zero has remained steadfast in its commitment to quality, sustainability, and community. These are three pillars that guide every choice they make as a brand. They take a pragmatic approach to sustainability, and while their original grove was certified biodynamic, they made a strategic decision to work with conventional olive growers, too.
‘We did this in the knowledge that if we can grow the interest in local extra virgin olive oil we can first begin to offset imports,’ Richard explains. ‘Then, we can encourage some of our supplier growers to consider an organic or biodynamic alternative. To date, we’ve managed to convince two of our supplier growers to certify their properties and produce, and we have a third currently in the process of converting.’
They’ve also successfully removed plastic from the packaging of their pulses and grains, instead using home compostable film since 2014. Many of their restaurant customers now receive their oil in returnable stainless steel tanks, which has heavily reduced their packaging footprint. Solar powers the majority of their energy needs, including charging two forklifts and two electric vehicles.
The brand regularly collaborates with other local growers, including a recent collaboration with specialty citrus growers Mountain Yuzu to produce yuzu infused olive oils. They also work with the traditional owners in the Wimmera, the Wotjobaluk community to harvest salt from Pink Lake, which is found just outside Dimboola.
‘We started this project in 2009 and saw the Wotjobaluk people as the obvious partner. After 15 years of harvesting salt and paying $1/kg back to the community, we’re handing over the project to the Land Council next year.’
The quality of Mount Zero produce speaks for itself. There’s a reason why it’s a brand you’ll find in just about every gourmet grocery store you step foot into – and why Richard says they’ve never had trouble finding a market for their products.
‘We aim to produce the highest quality produce that we can, and that just means we may be priced out of some of the big retailers.’
Scroll through the full range of Mount Zero products on their website.
