The exterior of Pic's Peanut Butter Factory in New Zealand. There is a red path leading up to the doorway which has a star on it, and there's a giant jar of peanut butter outside.

Visiting a Peanut Butter Factory in New Zealand: What I Learned from Pic’s Unusual Story

20th February 2026 - New Experience Number 6.

Jump to 'Try it yourself'

What do you get when you combine peanuts, a bike, a cement mixer and a legally blind entrepreneur?

A brilliant experience towards my 52 new things in the year!

From walking up the red ‘carpet’ to discovering the unconventional story behind the brand, visiting a peanut butter factory was a great stop-off on our New Zealand travels.

I adored the quirkiness, the values, and making my own pedal-powered peanut butter

‘Nut’ your average factory tour

'nut' your average factory tour

Whilst Marmite seems to have cornered the market on divisive spreads, peanut butter isn’t exactly universally adored either. I’m somewhere in the middle. I wouldn’t choose it, but I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it either.

So it wasn’t a deep love of peanut butter that took me to the factory. It was curiosity – and the possibility of seeing the world’s largest jar of peanut butter.

Walking up the red carpet

If you thought this was a humble peanut butter factory, then think again. This was peanut butter with personality.

Guests don’t simply enter the factory. Instead, we were made to feel like VIPs as we walked along the red ‘carpet’ to the main entrance.

A real carpet would have been a terrible idea – can you imagine how dog-eared it would look after being left out in all weathers? It was actually just painted pavement, but it still felt special.

Behind The Scenes - Visiting a Peanut Butter Factory in New Zealand

Rules for visiting a peanut butter factory in New Zealand
Some very serious rules to follow

After reading the very serious rules, and triple checking none of us had a nut allergy, we followed our guide up the spiral staircase to find out where the magic happened.

Enveloping us like a warm embrace, the underlying nutty aroma filled the air as we went behind the scenes.

Shelves held clean and empty jars of peanut butter from around the world, and information panels showed some seriously impressive stats.

The machinery was fascinating too, from a close-up view of Matilda, where the peanuts are roasted, to the production line where the finished product is packaged.

We learned where they source their peanuts and about the numerous benefits of consuming them. The tour had just the right amount of detail, along with a generous dose of cheekiness.

The factory floor of a peanut butter factory in New Zealand. There are lots of machines and lights.
It was amazing to see behind the scenes...
Looking down onto a peanut butter factory in New Zealand. There are lots of machines for the production line.
...and where the magic happens

The man behind the peanut butter

One of my favourite parts was discovering the man behind the brand – Pic Picot.

He’s a man who has had many adventures and different turns of career and seems to have a great attitude to life.

I loved the fact that he’s taken a less conventional route to being a business leader and still achieved success – taking something simple and making it incredibly good.

Pic’s Peanut Butter came about after a disappointing experience of peanut butter on toast. Deciding that surely it could taste better, he had a go at making it himself. Cue a lot of persevering, creativity, resilience and determination.

Whilst his first batch blew up his blender, the taste was good enough to make him want to try again. Undeterred, he kept iterating and tinkering with the production.

After positive reactions from the people he initially gave his peanut butter to, he decided to start selling jars at the local market, setting up production in a garage and designing the labels himself.

The market stall was a success, and since then, Pic’s Peanut Butter has expanded to a proper factory, with jars exported around the world.

Throw into the mix that he was legally blind and almost retired when he began his peanut adventure in 2007, and his is a story really worth delving into.

An information panel inside a peanut butter factory, with details about the man who created the brand. The heading reads From sandals to sailing.
Pic has had many adventures and ideas...
Close up of a book called Pic. Adventures in sailing, business and love. This is about the man who created Pic's peanut butter in New Zealand.
...and his book is on my reading list!

From cement mixer to peanut butter

What I hadn’t anticipated in a peanut factory was a cement mixer and a bike.

The cement mixer was the ingenious way that Pic began producing his peanut butter. Working in a garage, he cleverly adapted the mixer (which I’d like to add was brand new and had never been used for its intended purpose), and used it for roasting the peanuts!

There was something wonderfully rebellious about looking at a cement mixer and thinking, I know what that needs to make: peanut butter.

A bright, shiny and clean cement mixer.
The sort of cement mixer Pic used in the beginning

I loved his creative solution. It was such a brilliant reminder how we can often overcomplicate things, when sometimes the answer can be something unexpectedly simple.

It got me thinking about how often we put barriers in place, thinking we need the right equipment, the right expertise or the perfect conditions before we can start. Pic didn’t have any of those things. He had a problem, an idea and a cement mixer.

Getting on my bike - Visiting a Peanut Butter Factory in New Zealand

The bike had been modified to allow us to grind our own peanut butter. Before you ask, yes, of course I had a go.

It was as simple as putting natural peanuts into the top and pedalling to turn the grinder to squish them up.

I say simple, it wasn’t like riding a bike. Well, technically it was like riding a bike, but it was like riding a bike on a very gravelly track up a very steep hill. Without actually going anywhere. It was slow and it was most definitely not smooth.

Even though it was not my most impressive ride, I still managed to grind and smoosh those peanuts together, resulting in a not-particularly-appetising pile of peanut butter.

We tried the output, and it was tasty, although I don’t think anyone would pay good money for my creation.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair tied back, sitting on a converted bicycle which is static and can make peanut butter
Having a go at making pedal powered peanut butter...
A paper plate containing some very chunky-looking peanut butter
...which didn't look the most appealing, but actually tasted good!

Who knew peanut butter could come in so many flavours?

The tour ended with a tasting, and we sampled four different varieties.

We tried crunchy, smoochy (smooth AND crunchy – why hasn’t this been done more often?!), a colossal chocolate collab with Whittaker’s, a salt and pepper mash-up, and a sweet honey hybrid.

They make seriously good peanut butter, with the perfect blend of fun.

A tasting stick containing some crunchy-looking peanut butter
Trying the crunchy peanut butter
Shelves of jars of two different flavours of peanut butter
Chocolate, and disco themed peanut butter
A tasting stick containing a honey peanut butter sample
A peanut butter and honey hybrid

Why I loved Visiting Pic’s

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair holding a large jar of peanut butter in New Zealand
The second biggest jar of peanut butter we saw!

One of the things I love about trying new things, is discovering stories that I’d otherwise miss.

I adored the quirkiness, the values, and making my own pedal-powered peanut butter.

A visit to a peanut butter factory wasn’t just a fascinating insight into one of New Zealand’s uniquebrands, it also introduced me to an incredible entrepreneur. 

So, after all that, am I now a peanut butter convert?

Not quite.

But I am much more enthusiastic about the story behind it.

And perhaps that’s one of the reasons I enjoy trying new things. You don’t necessarily have to discover a new favourite food, hobby or place. Sometimes the reward is simply discovering something – or someone – you wouldn’t otherwise have known about.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair standing next to a giant jar of peanut butter which is at least twice the size of her.
Possibly the world's biggest jar of peanut butter

I went to a peanut butter factory because I wanted to see a giant jar of peanut butter.

I left thinking about cement mixers, creativity and a legally blind entrepreneur who decided that peanut butter could be better.

Not bad for a food I’m still not entirely sure I like.

Want To Try It Yourself?

  • To experience the same peanut butter tour that I took, you’ll need to visit Pic’s
  • You can find them at Nelson on the South Island in New Zealand.

Cost Of Experience

  • We paid NZ$25 per person on the tour in 2026.
  • That is equivalent to around £11 each.
  • The tour lasted around one hour, included some tastings, and a jar of peanut butter to take home. 

Recommendations For Visiting a Peanut Butter Factory in New Zealand

  • Check for allergies. It might go without saying, but please do double check whether anyone has a nut allergy if you’re planning on going with other people – and maybe rethink your plans.
  • Book your tour. Whilst walk-ins are welcomed, booking your tour in advance will guarantee you a place.
  • Try the bike. See if you can pedal your own peanut butter.
  • Don’t forget to take your camera. It’s a fascinatingly brilliant place.

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