Woolworths and Coles in competition over “exclusive” tomatoes
The Coles sweet snack-sized Perino tomatoes are possibly facing a match with the launch next month of Woolworths’ Sweet Solanato tomato.
Both Perino tomatoes and Sweet Solanato tomatoes have a grape-shape look and promise a sweet aftertaste.
Paul Harker, head of produce for Woolworths said that Woolworths has worked closely with Perfection Fresh Australia and Moraitis Pty Ltd to develop their new mini tomato variety.
“We are always looking at ways to work with our suppliers to ensure we provide the latest innovation in fresh food to our customers. We saw a gap in the market for a sweet snacking tomato and we know our customers will love them,” Mr Harker said.
The Sweet Solanato will be sold exclusively through Woolworths and is being grown in greenhouses in Bundaberg in Queensland, Gosford in New South Wales ,Tatura in Victoria, as well as Two Wells in South Australia.
They are hydroponically purpose-grown in different parts of Australia to ensure they are available year-round. Victoria and South Australia produce fruit all year, while Queensland will produce the winter crop and New South Wales the spring and summer crops.
Competitor, Blush Tomatos, which grows the Perino tomato exclusively for Coles, is a business of the Costa Group. As reported in Australian Food News in January 2012, the Costa family runs one of Australia’s best-known successful family businesses as one of the country’s largest distributors of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Both the Costa group’s business and the Moraitis group’s business are committed to substantial investment in new horticulture technologies. The Smorgon family is also a major tomato-growing greenhouse investor that has an involvement.
The Moraitis family and their allied Perfection Fresh Australia group are also well-known for innovative marketing in the fresh produce markets in Australia.
