Gluten free, less than 5 grams of sugar per serve, and absolutely delicious. Imagine baking with 15 tonne of honey and 10 tonne of sugar per year, with between 100-200 litres of egg white per week. These are the main ingredients that go into make either hard or soft nougat, along with vanilla, baking powder and various flavours and nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and macadamias.
Mondo Nougat can be purchased at various venues around Perth and at their Swan Valley factory. For those unable to physically attend, Mondo’s can send their products via mail. Check them out at www.mondonougat.com.au
A visit to their factory is well worth the trip. It is also a café that can seat 80 people, both indoors and outdoors. The pastries are made on site, with the best sellers being the Mondo Nougat cheesecake and the Rumbabas (a traditional desert from Naples). They also have a variety of gelatos that are also all made on site. The lemon strawberry sorbet is the best seller here, and it is hard to just choose one of the amazing flavours. They do have gluten free cakes and lactose free sorbet.
I always order a coffee when visiting Mondo. It is consistently perfect. Plus, it was a joy to discover they also sell sugar free confectionery.
A window into the production area allows you to see the products when they are being made behind the shop, and a video in the store shows the process of production as well.
In 2019, the first year entering the competition, Mondo Nougat won Gold Champion Confectionary, at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.
In 1989 Alfonso Romeo emigrated from Italy to Western Australia. Three years later he had opened an Italian patisserie in Midland, called Mondo Patisserie. Mondo is Italian for world. They made pies and sausage rolls, cakes and biscuits, icecreams and Italian specialties. At Christmas they made the Italian honey based delicacy - nougat.
People loved this delicious Christmas treat they were demanding to purchase the sweet year round. In 1999 the deli was shut and a factory in Morley was producing nougat all year.
Another move happened in 2005 when they outgrew the factory in Morley, and opened their current premises – The Mondo Nougat Factory in the wine growing region of Swan Valley, one hour from Perth. The address is 640 Great Northern Highway, Herne Hill. There is no public transport to the Swan Valley, but it is easy accessed from Perth by car, and various bus companies offer tours of the Valley and include visits to Mondo.
Rather than retiring, Alfonso is proud and happy to still be working at Mondo. I had the pleasure of talking to Andrea, one of the three sons of Alfonso who all work in this family business.
Andrea performs different duties and loves the diversity of his tasks. It was apparent that he has a great passion for this family company, and it shone through.
A free sample is given out to visitors, with additional samples at 50 cents each. I have visited here with friends at times, and we get a free sample each, then taste a bit of each. Sharing is caring.
I asked Andrea what was the most popular nougat flavours and he said:
1. Almond – the original and best seller
2. Lemon Cheesecake
3. Pistachio Tart
4. Macadamia and Honey
The assorted packet is the best seller among the various sized and flavoured nougat packs.
If you want a more hands on experience, they offer a twenty minute nougat master classes where you can create your own flavour, and also group nougat making experiences.
Future plans for the 5 acre Swan Valley factory site could also include markets, picnic spaces, nature walks, Friday night food trucks etc.
So, do yourself a delicious flavour favour and head out to Mondos. Your taste buds will thank you.
Happy travels!
