The strategic alliance will relaunch premium Sunkist-branded citrus across the UK market, laying the groundwork for broader European distribution
Citrus cooperative Sunkist Growers has announced a new alliance with Vidafresh designed to expand the availability of premium Sunkist-branded citrus across the UK.
Launching with the upcoming Northern Hemisphere citrus season, the programme will provide UK customers a premium range of oranges, easy peelers, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pomelos and other hard citrus varieties.
Carefully curated to meet the needs of retail, processing, wholesale and foodservice customers, Sunkist said the range of varieties has been selected for its ”exceptional eating quality, consistency and strong varietal appeal”.
The collaboration pairs Sunkist’s global brand recognition, citrus expertise and international production and sourcing network with Vidafresh’s commercial and logistics strength and close long-term client relationships in both the UK and Europe.
Sunkist explained that the two groups will reintroduce the cooperative’s fresh citrus to a new generation of UK consumers while laying the groundwork for expansion into the broader European region over time.
“Growing up in the UK, Sunkist was a brand I knew long before I joined this cooperative, and this alliance brings that connection full circle,” said Christian Harris, chief operating officer at Sunkist.
“It allows us to bring that legacy to more customers across the region, backed by the quality and consistency Sunkist is known for around the world.”
Sunkist pointed out that its connection to the UK dates back more than 70 years, with the cooperative first shipping California citrus to London in 1953.
The new programme, it stated, builds on that history while reflecting its broader strategy to grow its international presence and connect customers with high-quality fruit sourced from growers across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Through this venture, Vidafresh will manage the programme’s regional commercial, logistical and customer-service needs, drawing on its established UK relationships and supply-chain capabilities to connect Sunkist’s global citrus network with customers throughout the region.
“Sunkist’s heritage and reputation for quality make this an incredibly exciting collaboration for Vidafresh,” said Scott Davies, managing director at Vidafresh.
“Our product knowledge, highly experienced commercial, logistics and operational teams, coupled with our commitment to customer satisfaction and our proven track record in fresh produce, position us well to build a long-term platform for sustainable growth for Sunkist across the UK and Europe.”
The initial programme will focus on establishing Sunkist’s fresh citrus presence across UK customer channels, with the venture expected to support additional varieties, expanded seasonal availability and broader European distribution over time, the group added.
