Kapiris Bros brings new tomatoes to Australian market
One variety, known as a Fresa strawberry tomato, is a snack-sized variety, while the other, Cimelio, is an heirloom tomato targeted at gourmet consumers and the restaurant industry.
“There’s a growing demand for different varieties, and consumers have developed different buying habits,” Kapiris Bros Sales and Marketing Director Steve Tsakoumakis says. “What we’re really focused on is the benefits of fresh produce and finding any gaps in the market, then looking at new produce varieties that could fill these gaps.”
He says the snacking vegetable category is seeing growth in Australia across the board, and their new strawberry tomato variety is set apart from other options.
“With the strawberry snacking tomato, the flavour’s different, they’re quite sweet, and they’re also really easy to eat,” he says.
“You can just have them on their own, chuck them in a lunchbox or a salad. The size makes it great for snacking, it’s easy for consumers to just pick them up and go, and people are looking for that kind of produce at the moment.”
Kapiris Bros Quality Manager Antonio Moroni adds that they are a great tomato for the whole family to enjoy on any occasion.
“I’ve tested them on my family and it makes them happy because the kids can eat them like lollies, but they’re much healthier than actual lollies.”
According to research from AUSVEG’s Project Harvest in 2015, Australian consumers snack four times as much as they did 10 years ago and also have greater knowledge and expectations of their food’s nutritional value.
The research also showed that some consumers already regularly enjoy veggie favourites as snacks, with 37 per cent of Australians snacking on cucumber and 35 per cent on celery.
These trends have created market openings for more healthy, consumer-friendly vegetable snacks, including the Fresa strawberry tomatoes. Named because of their distinct shape, this snacking tomato has a sweet flavour and a brix level (sugar content) of between 6 and 10.
Kapiris Bros have packaged them for retailers in 250g punnets (approximately 8 tomatoes), with their bright green calyx making them look even more reminiscent of very large strawberries.
Mr Tsakoumakis says they currently have around 1 hectare growing on a farm in South Australia, with a combination of undercover cropping and glasshouse.
“It’s great because it allows us to grow them for 12 months of the year. So in summer we can use undercover cropping, as it allows us to grow outside but keep the fruit protected, and then around April-May we’ll start planting in the glasshouse, which helps retain heat throughout the cooler months.”
The Fresa strawberry tomatoes are currently available through retailers, and Mr Tsakoumakis says the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We’ve worked with a major retailer to gauge consumer interest and response, and what we’re hearing is that they have a nice, sweet taste and a unique shape. They’re more versatile than cherry tomatoes – you can easily use them in a salad, they taste great for cooking and are an obvious choice for snacking.”
Contrasting with this variety is the Cimelio, an heirloom tomato that fills a gourmet and growing niche in the market.
“With the Cimelio heirloom tomato, we can see that people are looking for that old world tomato that’s great on sandwiches or in cooking, and they really seek this kind of variety out. It’s a point of difference on restaurant and café menus too, and can become part of the social side of food,” Mr Tsakoumakis says.
“I’ve seen these kinds of tomatoes used as features on tables, the same way flowers are, and in some restaurants as decorations, as a way to say “this is some of the fresh produce we are using in our kitchen”, because they do have such a unique look. Each one is individual.”
Cimelio, which are named after the Italian word for “relic”, are celebrated for their uniqueness – each one looking slightly different in shape, size and colour. They are being sold in boutique, quality fresh food specialist stores, as well as direct to restaurateurs, and are packaged in 3-kilogram trays, with availability from October to June.
“The heirloom tomatoes are a seasonal line, as they require specific weather conditions to produce premium quality fruit,” Mr Tsakoumakis says.
“You need it to work really hard to produce high quality fruit. They’re big tomatoes, high brix, and so the plants need to been grown during their correct seasonal period.
Mr Moroni also explains that growing conditions are important for developing flavour and quality consistency across the line.
“I grew up in Italy with full flavoured tomatoes, and I want to increase the flavour of tomatoes here,” he says.
“I think it’s important to grow tomatoes as close to what nature intended as we can. Of course they may need help, you may need to add nutrients to water or other things, but we also need to remember the value of growing conditions that are as natural as possible.”
The entire development process for the Fresa strawberry tomato and Cimelio heirloom variety has taken Kapiris Bros around three years, with every aspect of production considered and tested along the way.
“You’ve got to find a variety that you think will work, and then do a trial planting to look at yield and quality, then consider if the performance meets commercial standards,” Mr Tsakoumakis says.
“That whole process takes about two years, then in the third year you plant for the yield you need and then start to introduce it into the market place, and from there you can assess the feedback and look at scaling up again. We’re a little ways from that point, but at this stage we’ve had all great feedback.”
For more information:
Karen Whitener
Kapiris Bros
Tel: +61 3 8401 1000
Email: karenw@kapirisbros.com.au
www.kapirisbros.com.au