OUR STORY
A lifetime devoted to Thai food
Aharn Thai Newcastle is the culmination of a lifetime devoted to Thai food.
For more than three decades, Peter Maddison and his wife Nok have lived and breathed Thai cuisine — learning it, cooking it, refining it, and sharing it with others.
Peter’s journey into Thai food began in the late 1980s while working with restaurants across Australia and South East Asia. Fascinated by the culture, flavours and spirit of Thailand, he made the life-changing decision to move there and immerse himself completely in Thai food and Thai life.
It was the beginning of a remarkable journey — one with many chapters still to be told.
Living throughout Thailand, Peter worked alongside street vendors, traditional restaurants and eventually several five-star kitchens, learning directly from some of the country’s most respected Thai chefs. Along the way he became fluent in the Thai language and developed such a deep connection to Thai culture that he became known as “The White Thai.”
The deeper story behind “The White Thai” is one for another day — and one that still continues to unfold.
FROM THAILAND TO NEWCASTLE
Returning to Newcastle in 1991, Peter opened one of the city’s first Thai restaurants — AL-OI Thai on Darby Street.
The restaurant was an instant success, with crowds regularly lining the street to experience authentic Thai cuisine that Newcastle had never seen before.
Over the following years the AL-OI Thai brand expanded into multiple restaurants across Newcastle and the Central Coast, earning numerous awards and building a reputation as one of Australia’s most respected Thai restaurant groups.
In 2003 Peter sold the AL-OI restaurants and returned to Thailand, where he continued his hospitality journey by opening and operating successful venues in Bangkok while continuing to work closely with some of the country’s most talented chefs.
Throughout these years Peter and Nok travelled extensively throughout Thailand, exploring regional differences in cuisine, learning from cooks in villages and markets, and deepening their understanding of one of the world’s most exciting food cultures.
BRINGING THAI FOOD HOME
After returning to Newcastle with their family, Peter and Nok began operating at the Newcastle Farmers Market under the name Tarlart Thai — which translates to Thai Food Market.
It was here that something interesting began to happen.
Customers who tasted their food would constantly ask the same question:
“How can we eat like this at home?”
At the same time, Peter and Nok realised something else.
This is the way they eat themselves — real Thai food, full of aroma, balance and authentic flavour. Yet many people never have the chance to experience those flavours in their own kitchen.
So they set themselves a challenge:
How do we give everyone the opportunity to enjoy authentic Thai food at home?
The answer became Aharn Thai.
COOK LIKE A THAI CHEF AT HOME
Rather than selling ready meals, Peter and Nok wanted people to experience the joy of cooking Thai food themselves.
Using their decades of experience, they created a range of hand-crafted soups, curries, sauces, dressings and entrées designed to deliver authentic Thai flavour while allowing you to add your own favourite ingredients.
Simply add your choice of protein, seafood or vegetables and create beautiful Thai dishes in your own kitchen.
As Peter likes to say:
“We bring the magic — you add your favourite ingredients.”
FIND US AT THE MARKETS
Today Aharn Thai represents the culmination of more than 30 years of experience with Thai cuisine, combining traditional Thai techniques with modern food preparation methods so the authentic flavours of Thailand can be enjoyed at home.
You’ll still find Peter and Nok every:
Saturday — Glendale Farmers Market
Sunday — Newcastle City Farmers Market
as well as at local community events across the region.
They love meeting customers, talking about Thai food and helping people discover just how easy it can be to cook incredible Thai dishes at home.
From our kitchen to yours — we hope our products inspire you to create something delicious.
Peter, Nok & AJ
Aharn Thai Newcastle