Unfolding Through Life

This edition highlights themes around Mother’s Day and women in business, reminding us how incredible the special women in our lives and our community are. One such woman is Pauline Pitman. You may know her as the creator and owner of the delicious artisanal nut butters at The Nut Mill in Hilton. When she isn’t running her business, Pauline is a mother of two and a passionate Nguni cattle farmer alongside her partner, Eben. She’s learnt to make the most of every twist and turn along her journey, finding just as much joy in it as she does in the early morning runs on her farm with her dog, Abby, in tow.

A New Door & Nut Butters

Just months before Pauline and her late husband, Matt, were set to move to their beautiful farm in Hilton, he was transferred to Melbourne for a work contract. They lived there for five years, until they returned to the Midlands in March 2020 to be closer to family while navigating Matt’s cancer diagnosis. During their time in Melbourne, Pauline learned about the magic of nut butters, which became a staple in their diet. “We had embraced a very clean, healthy approach to our diet to help my husband’s battle with cancer and the side effects of chemo,” Pauline shares. A few months after they arrived in South Africa, Pauline ordered the same nut butter mill from Australia. In October 2020, she started a macadamia nut butter line for Wedgewood at the request of her friend, Zoe Walters. “From there, I created a label and branched off on my own, experimenting with different nut butters to create the range I have today,” Pauline explains. 

She was shown the ropes of roasting nuts for over a year out of the Wild Bread Co. ovens before she decided to turn her stables into a proper production facility. It took some time for her business to gain momentum, and for the first few years, she had to figure out all the nuts and bolts of the processes and marketing on her own. From monthly markets to networking events, it soon became clear that allowing her business to grow slowly and organically was the best course of action if she wanted her top priority to remain spending time with her children.

The Strength of a Willow Tree

While it hasn’t been easy to navigate her many roles, from mother, homemaker, widow, daughter, to friend, she hasn’t done it alone. She readily acknowledges her family and the community around her, who have significantly lightened the load. Her biggest lessons have been to be flexible and adapt quickly to change. She fondly remembers childhood advice from her mother: to be more like a willow tree and “bend with the breeze”, as there is just as much strength in moving with change as there is in staying rigid like an oak tree.

Through her business and running the farm, Pauline has learnt about who she is, who she isn’t, and how to find balance when juggling every jar life throws at her. “When it all feels overwhelming, it’s important to find those beautiful moments in your day,” Pauline shares, “Finding something which calms you, fills you, and makes you smile is important to put your day into perspective.”

If you’re a woman wearing many hats right now, or silently coping with loss and grief, you’re not alone. You are a part of a wonderful community of people, and it's okay to say “slow down” or “no”. You just need to be brave, ask, and share. “My life is still unfolding every day, and my lessons are still being learnt, but if I had to choose one motto, I'd say, ‘keep it simple’,” Pauline concludes.

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