Springhill Farm

Flying High with Its Brand

Forty Years of Craft, Innovation, and Healthy Indulgence

As Springhill Farm marks its 40th anniversary, the milestone arrives with both pride and 

disbelief. For the family behind the brand, it feels significant and deeply meaningful, yet somehow surprising in its speed. Four decades of hard work, product evolution, and consumer trust have passed, but the business still feels energized, ambitious, and far from finished.

“In business, you’re always thinking about what’s next—how to improve, what to create, how to be better,” says Fiona Whatley, General Manager with Springhill Farm states. “This anniversary forces you to pause and recognize what you’ve actually achieved. That has been incredibly important for us as a family.”

What began on a humble family farm, where muesli slices were baked by hand and enjoyed by local children perched on hay bales, has grown into one of Australia’s most beloved snack brands. Springhill Farm’s emphasis on real ingredients, traditional methods, and nostalgic, comforting flavors continues to set it apart in a market increasingly dominated by processed alternatives. Real food made by real people remains the heart of the business.

This anniversary year also aligns with another major milestone: a ten-year partnership with Qantas. The collaboration has expanded steadily over the past decade and recently reached a new high point with the launch of three Springhill Farm products on Qantas domestic and international flights. Fiona describes the significance of this partnership as difficult to overstate. 

For a food brand, the opportunity to have thousands of passengers try your product every day, in a trusted premium setting, is invaluable. She recounts receiving multiple emails from passengers within the first 24 hours alone, including one from the United States from a traveler who loved the slice and immediately wanted to know where to buy it. 

“You simply cannot buy that level of exposure,” Whatley says. “Food in mouth is the best form of marketing.”

The new offerings include a Cranberry and Almond Slice served on the domestic breakfast menu, a Cocoa Hazelnut Slice featured on the international service; and an Apricot and Almond Slice that draws inspiration from the original muesli slice recipe developed forty years ago.

Each reflects the brand’s philosophy of healthy enjoyment by combining wholesome ingredients, nostalgic flavors, and just the right touch of indulgence. Together, these slices will be sampled by countless passengers over the next year, strengthening the bond between Springhill Farm and consumers both at home and abroad.

The company is celebrating both its 40-year milestone and its decade-long Qantas relationship with a national consumer competition offering a family getaway, with the winner to be announced early in the new year. The initiative is already driving strong engagement and reinforces the sense of celebration around the brand.

While Qantas helps take Springhill Farm global, the business is simultaneously preparing for a major domestic retail expansion. Springhill Farm recently entered Woolworths’ healthy snacking category with three new products designed to bring better for you options to a segment long dominated by highly processed choices. 

For Whatley and her family—who have four children themselves—this category holds both personal relevance and commercial opportunity. The team conducted extensive consumer research with parents, particularly those juggling work, home life, and the daily ritual of packing school lunches. One insight stood out consistently: if a child does not like the taste, it doesn’t matter how healthy the product is; it will come home untouched in the lunchbox. Taste, therefore, must come first.

Springhill Farm’s new offerings marry appealing flavors with meaningful nutritional improvements. Their two Rice Puff Bars were developed as an alternative to the sugary staples currently dominating lunchboxes. They contain significantly reduced sugar, are made with natural ingredients, and are gluten-free, making them accessible to a wide range of families. 

A Choco Oat Slice rounds out the lineup, formulated with added protein to keep children fuller for longer and to support their energy needs throughout the day. From the classroom to the playground to after-school sport, these snacks were designed to help children stay fueled without the crash associated with traditional high-sugar products.

The development of these products reflects the company’s broader approach to innovation. Springhill Farm continually monitors global food and wellness trends, attends international trade shows, and keeps a close eye on the growing demand for clean living, transparency, and functional foods. Modern consumers want products that do more than taste good—they want food that supports health, wellness, and dietary needs. 

The rise of gluten-free options once felt transformational, but today Whatley notes that “consumers expect additional benefits from their snacks, such as added protein or fiber. People are no longer satisfied with simple substitutions; they want food that enhances their lifestyle.”

To translate ideas into real products, Springhill Farm uses a stage-gate process that continues to mature each year. The team generates concepts based on research and trends, sense-checks them with consumer groups, prototypes them in-house, and collaborates closely with retail buyers who bring extensive category insights. 

One challenge Whatley highlights is the difficulty of maintaining objectivity once the team has been tasting and tweaking a product for months. That is why unbiased first impressions—especially from children—are invaluable. Kids provide immediate, honest, and unfiltered feedback, making them some of the company’s most reliable testers.

With so much innovation underway, Springhill Farm recently undertook a major rebrand to bring all sub-brands back under one unified identity. The new packaging is cohesive, modern, and reflective of the company’s heritage. Fiona describes seeing it all come together as a moment of clarity—it feels like the brand has reached a new level of maturity while still honoring its beginnings. 

The next phase will focus on consumer education, strengthening brand storytelling, and ensuring that the new ranges perform strongly in the market. After an exceptionally busy 12 months, the team is ready to take a breath, consolidate the wins, and ensure the foundations for future growth remain strong.

Forty years in, Springhill Farm is more vibrant and ambitious than ever. Anchored by family values, fueled by authentic ingredients, and guided by a commitment to healthy indulgence, the brand enters its fifth decade with momentum, purpose, and a renewed dedication to creating snacks that families across Australia—and increasingly, around the world—can trust and enjoy. 

The journey that began on a small farm has become a national success story, and yet, as Whatley notes, “it still feels like there is so much more ahead.”

AT A GLANCE

Who: Springhill Farm

What: An agri business turned snack favorite powerhouse

Where: Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Website: www.springhillfarm.com.au

PREFERRED VENDORS/PARTNERS