Dutch importer Cool Fresh International will take the opportunity at the upcoming Fruit Logistica trade fair in Berlin to offer what amounts to pineapple perfection, with the launch of a new premium concept as part of its BonSweet range.
The new line, which will be marketed under the BonSweet Diamantè label, offers individual, superior-quality and ready-to-eat pineapples sold in an elegant, limited edition box – in much the same way as Champagne or perfume are sold in boutiques and department stores.
For BonSweet Diamantè, the target market will be very much at the upper end of the market spectrum, as marketing director Nic Jooste explains.
“We believe that this product will have a special appeal to customers in the specialty segment, such as high street greengrocers, top-end retailers and suppliers to restaurants. And of course any discerning foodie who wants to taste the real Costa Rica in a pineapple!”
Diamantè has apparently not been developed with a specific country or type of consumer in mind. Existing ready-to-eat line BonSweet Select has achieved good results in several different countries, prompting Cool Fresh to consider expanding its offer at the upper end of the market.
“We believe that this product line will increase our market share in the countries where the BonSweet name is already synonymous with quality and taste,” he comments.
“The initial response from our client base is that Diamantè will create its own niche in most countries where there is an exclusive segment in the fresh produce category, and where taste, appearance and fragrance are more important than price.”
Haute couture
Managing director Hugo Vermeulen says that his company’s quest for BonSweet to satisfy every niche in the global pineapple market has resulted in the creation of what his team calls the “haute couture” of pineapples.
“Because our client base also covers some very discerning segments such as top restaurants, during 2014 it became clear that we needed to also be able to supply a pineapple which is perfect in all aspects,” he says.
“The challenge was to grow a pineapple which is at exactly the right sugar/acidity ratio, allowing it to be used in complex as well as simple recipes. Other crucial characteristics needed to be a well-balanced and subtle fragrance, as well as an appealing internal structure and a healthy external appearance. Achieving this required much effort, but we believe that we have nailed the challenge.”
The group’s pineapple specialist Mario de Goede says that airfreight logistics will be used to ensure the product arrives in perfect condition.
“We harvest this pineapple in an optimum condition, and then need to get it to our customers in the shortest possible time,” he notes.
Limited edition
While all BonSweet pineapples are Rainforest Alliance certified and, where possible, transported without placing too much strain on the environment, it is understood that Cool Fresh’s CSR team has calculated the effect on the environment of such a limited edition airfreight line is minimal and therefore defendable given the company’s overall CSR record.
According to Jooste, the Cool Fresh team revised its packaging design a number of times before they were happy with it, ultimately drawing inspiration from the fashion world with a nod to Gucci and Versace.
“We believe that the elegance of the packaging will do justice to the extreme quality of the product,” he adds. “Being part of this multi-disciplined project team was a great experience, and we are sure that the market will embrace BonSweet Diamantè in a big way.”
