Tasmanian Westerway Raspberry Farm will supply Asahi Beverages with 50,000 kilograms of raspberries every year, with the beverage giant announcing it would no longer use imported berries from Poland.
The family-owned Westerway farm is the largest processing berry grower in Tasmania. Owner Richard Clark said they were proud to showcase quality Tasmanian produce to the rest of Australia.
Richard Clark, Westerway Farms.
“This deal will enable us to plant more fruit, employ more people and give greater security and certainty to those Tasmanians we already employ.
“We are a family business and take a lot of pride in what we do. By supplying our fruit to a local quality processor at Cascade, it enables us to showcase our berries in the best possible light. It means we are not compromising on the flavour which is important to us because we take care to grow our berries in the best Tassie soils and use local pristine water to irrigate,” Clark said.
The berries will be pressed and processed at the historic Cascade Brewery in Hobart, with some of the juice concentrate used in Tasmania for Mercury Cider. The rest will be sent to the mainland to be used in Asahi Beverage brands Spring Valley fruit juice, Cottee’s cordial, and Pop Tops.
Asahi Beverages general manager Procurement Dave Baxter said the switch to Tasmanian raspberries was because of their quality, their more reliable supply, and Asahi’s commitment to supporting Australian farmers.
“We know the best beverages are made with the best raw ingredients – and it really doesn’t get much better than being able to source fresh, world-class produce while supporting local farmers,” Baxter said.
Last year, Asahi restructured its barley supply chain, removing bulk handlers from the process and allowing brewers to work directly with growers.
Mercury Cider, Spring Valley, Cottee’s and Pop Tops beverages featuring Tasmanian raspberries will start gradually hitting shelves later this year.
