Perfection Fresh has acquired Queensland-based Berry Yummy Marketing, a strawberry distribution and marketing business. The purchase also includes exclusive licences to new premium strawberry varieties from berry breeder Plant Sciences Inc.
Berry Yummy Marketing generates “significant” strawberry sales and has “strong retail programs” with Australian supermarkets, independent grocers and wholesale distributors.
As a result of the acquisition, Perfection Fresh will now be responsible for around ten per cent of the Australian strawberry market, as well securing year-round supply from a network of strawberry growers in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
“We’d like to work with the Berry Yummy grower network to replicate this success and help transform the Australian strawberry sector,” said Perfection Fresh CEO Michael Simonetta.
“This will include setting new benchmarks in logistics and marketing, as well as introducing premium varieties that consistently deliver a better eating experience for customers.”
Perfection Fresh plans to introduce premium strawberry varieties and a tiered branding strategy in the next two to three years.
“Ahead of buying Berry Yummy, we’d already begun researching strawberry genetics and had sourced our own proprietary varieties from Europe. We are keen to complement these with varieties from Plant Sciences Inc in the US so we can introduce the perfect combination of new varieties,” said Simonetta.
Berry Yummy Marketing’s former owner and strawberry grower Ray Daniels has joined Perfection Fresh in a dual role as grower liaison and mentor regarding growing, logisitcs and strawberry packaging,
Several members of the Berry Yummy Marketing team have also been employed by Perfection Fresh.
