GUEST SPEAKER - SIMON CAMILLERI - BAIADA DEVELOPMENT TAMWORTH
On Monday night we welcomed Simon Camilleri from Baiada, who shared the remarkable story behind one of Australia’s largest privately owned food companies. Baiada’s origins trace back to 1916 when Celestino Baiada arrived from Malta, with the family formally entering the poultry industry in the 1950s. From humble beginnings, the business expanded steadily, commissioning the Pendle Hill plant in the late 1950s and opening the Tamworth plant in 1966. Over the decades, Baiada has grown through major acquisitions — including Steggles in 2009 — transforming the company into a national leader while maintaining strong family and community values.
Simon outlined the extraordinary rise of chicken consumption in Australia, which has grown from 31kg per person in 2000 to 54kg today, making it the country’s most consumed protein. This shift underpins Baiada’s rapid expansion and its dramatic increase in market share. Baiada and Inghams now dominate the sector.
A key part of Baiada’s success is its fully integrated business model, spanning breeding, hatching, growing, processing, feed milling and rendering. The company employs around 8,000 staff nationally and services a diverse customer base including major supermarkets, wholesalers, quick‑service restaurants, pet food manufacturers and export markets. This breadth provides resilience and stability across changing economic conditions and consumer trends.
Tamworth is now central to Baiada’s long‑term strategy. Simon detailed the major investments underway, including the new processing plant designed to handle 3 million chickens per week, a significant hatchery expansion, and a new 15,000‑tonne‑per‑week feed mill on Wallamore Road. Over the next five years, these projects are expected to create around 900 additional local jobs, reinforcing Tamworth’s position as one of Australia’s most important poultry production regions.
Simon closed by emphasising Baiada’s commitment to regional development, sustainability and supporting its workforce. With new farms planned across Strathfield, Manilla, Gidley and Silverdale, and major infrastructure projects already progressing, Baiada’s investment represents one of the most significant industrial developments in Tamworth’s modern history. The scale of growth ahead highlights both the company’s confidence in the region and the opportunities it will bring to the local community.
Notes by James Hindmarsh.
