The Meander Valley has long been home to some of the state’s most celebrated producers. From artisan cheeses to honey, our region forms a key part of the Tasting Trail and lies next door to Launceston, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
Among the latest to join our community of makers is a small operation producing handmade nougat of excellent quality. The business is called Luca Nougat, and while the brand is new, the craft behind it runs deep.
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“We make nougat, so six different flavours at the moment,” says founder Remmo Beerepoot. Although officially launched in late 2025, the concept is rooted in decades of experience and a family tradition of working with food.
Beerepoot’s path to nougat began with Melita Honey Farm, which his family started in Chudleigh in 2001. One of their best-known products was honey ice cream, made with local milk, cream, honey and egg yolks. “We were just cracking eggs by the hundreds and having all these egg whites left over,” he recalls. “I felt really bad. It was really wasteful.”
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That waste sparked a question. What could be done with all those egg whites? A family holiday to France revealed the answer. “We took a wrong turn and ended up in this town Montélimar is the world capital of nougat,” Beerepoot says. “My dad just goes, light bulb, this is it, egg whites, honey, nougat.”
They returned to Tasmania with inspiration and began experimenting. There were failed batches and moments of doubt, but eventually a working recipe emerged. Years later, Beerepoot returned to the idea with renewed focus and fresh training, travelling to Italy to study nougat-making with a family business that had been doing it for generations. “Still using my dad’s foundational recipe, but now tweaked it a bit,” he explains.
The emphasis at Luca Nougat is on craft, not scale. “I don’t really envisage this becoming like a big multimillion dollar nougat empire,” Beerepoot says. “I want to stay artisan, like crafts, just on a smaller Tasmanian scale.”
He is guided by a commitment to local ingredients and the rhythms of regional life. “I really like the idea of working with Tasmanian ingredients and just bringing something different to the market.” Leatherwood honey features prominently, anchoring a range that includes pistachio, raspberry, hazelnut and pear.
Nougat-making is a complex, multi-step process involving honey, glucose, sugar and egg whites, which are whipped to create volume and texture. The mix is cooked, flavoured with nuts and fruit, then poured into moulds, cooled and cut. “It takes several hours to make a batch,” Beerepoot says. “There are quite a few steps.”
Operating from Westbury has worked well for the operation. “Here in Westbury, you’re in the country, but you’re also very close to town. Launceston is only half an hour away,” he says. “It’s the best of both worlds.”
Luca Nougat is now stocked in select retailers across Tasmania, including Hill Street Grocer, Ashgrove Cheese and the Deloraine Providore, and is available online. Airports and delicatessens have also taken note. Markets may follow in time, but for now, the focus is on wholesale and building a steady foundation.
