Glasshouse Plantation has taken out the coveted Gold Business Award at the 10th Annual Glass House Small Business Awards – affectionately known across the region as “The Glassies” – capping off a remarkable journey for founders Paul Ziebarth and Lisa Palu.
Presented during a gala evening at Mooloolah Valley Country Club on Tuesday, May 19, the awards are hosted each year by Glass House MP Andrew Powell to coincide with Queensland Small Business Month.
This year’s celebration marked a decade of recognising the entrepreneurs and employees who drive our local economy.
For Paul and Lisa, the honour is recognition of a vision more than 16 years in the making – one built on a deep commitment to helping Australians connect with the origins of their food.
“We are so happy for the recognition,” they said.
“But above all, our proudest achievement is that we have built an agritourism destination from the ground up which is providing employment for 14 local people, including a highly trained chef and a young person we are supporting to train as a pastry chef.”
Both agricultural scientists, the pair brought generations of farming heritage to the venture.
Paul hails from the Lockyer Valley, where five generations of his family have grown vegetables, while Lisa grew up on a cane farm near Bundaberg established by her Italian grandfather, who cleared the land by hand in the 1920s.
The seeds for Glasshouse Plantation were planted during a family day trip to the Glass House Mountains in 2010.
After climbing Mt Ngungun, the couple began browsing local real estate windows in search of farmland.
A year later, a visit to a small tourism-focused coffee farm on Norfolk Island provided the inspiration that would ultimately shape their future business.
Finding the right property proved no easy task.
The couple spent five years searching for land that met their strict criteria: a north-facing slope, secure irrigation water, sweeping mountain views and on an established tourist route.
Their passion for Australian-grown coffee also deepened during this time.
Lisa became Secretary of the Australian Grown Coffee Association, while the pair researched the potential for premium coffee production in subtropical Queensland.
Although coffee has been commercially grown in Queensland since the 1860s, with local farmers supplying 40 per cent of Australia’s domestic coffee needs by the 1890s, Australian-grown coffee today accounts for just 0.3 per cent of national demand.
Glasshouse Plantation aims to help change that.
The business planted its first coffee trees in 2021 and now has 5,000 trees growing on the property, with expansion plans already underway.
Their first harvest was collected in September 2025 and visitors can now sample the estate’s produce through tasting paddles designed to showcase the unique terroir of Australian-grown coffees.
Set within a restored 110-year-old farmhouse overlooking the plantation and surrounding mountains, the café has quickly become a destination for visitors seeking a genuine farm-to-cup experience.
Guests can enjoy breakfasts, lunches and seasonal produce prepared by Italian chef Ilario Duo, while Lisa and Paul’s son Nick leads immersive coffee tasting experiences and farm tours showcasing the harvesting and processing operation.
The plantation also supports neighbouring producers, stocking locally grown pineapple, macadamias, tea, honey and Australian-grown coffee in its farm shop. They use the same local produce in their menus as well.
Speaking at the gala, Mr Powell said the Glassies highlighted the strength and resilience of the region’s small business sector.
“Small businesses are the heart and soul of our community,” he said.
“They create local jobs, support local families and help make our region such a wonderful place to live.”
Visit Glasshouse Plantation at 122 Glass House-Woodford Road, Glass House Mountains. Open 5 days a week from Thursday to Monday, 8am-3pm.