UK topfruit grower group Fruition and its import arm Worldwide Fruit have signed an exclusive deal with British grocery retailer Waitrose to supply a new variety of New Zealand-bred pear, named Velvetine, this summer.
The variety, which is being supplied through Enza, originates from the Prevar collection in New Zealand and is a cross between Conference and Peter Barry.
According to Worldwide Fruit’s marketing manager, Steve Maxwell, Velvetine has a “juicy firm texture with a buttery, almost tropical taste”.
A consumer trial of the variety of a Waitrose store in London on 12 August sampled the opinions of over 300 shoppers and received very enthusiastic comments, he said.
“We had great feedback with many commenting that the aroma and flavour were excellent, one customer compared it to a ‘lovely Chardonnay’,” said Maxwell.
In a separate development, Waitrose has launched a new UK plum carton in conjunction with Fruition. The ‘Championing British’ Waitrose carton makes its store debut to coincide with the new UK plum season and will be available for the next four weeks.
“This is Fruition's third year of supplying this product to Waitrose and it has been a real hit with shoppers,” added Maxwell.
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