Leading Australian fresh produce business, Montague, has launched the latest season of the envy™ variety, with the apple in supermarkets and greengrocers across Australia.
With over 3.3 million kilograms of envy™ apples forecast to be packed by Montague this season, consumers are increasingly buying the hand-picked variety due to its extended shelf life and flavour profile.
To date, Montague has seen an increase in sales for the envy™, with consumers enjoying “the balanced sweetness, sophisticated flavour, satisfying crunch, clean red appearance and naturally white flesh of the envy™.”
“We are seeing much cleaner fruit compared to last season and we don’t expect fruit size to be very different to last season. The envy™ that we’ve seen so far this season has been spectacular in colour,” says Chief Innovation Officer Rowan Little.
“Ranging has increased this year meaning that we expect to sell out of envy™ a lot faster than last year, which should also mean less tired fruit on the shelves for everyone at the end of the season.”
One of the sweetest apples available on the market, envy™ was developed in New Zealand by a team of dedicated fruit lovers committed to improving the eating experience for consumers around the world, combining the best qualities of Braeburn and Royal Gala apples.
A versatile fruit, the envy™ is suitable for desserts thanks to its low acidity, and as a balance to spicier dishes.
“envy™ is the perfect apple to team with salads, crudités and entrées like my apple and tuna tartare with dill and chive oil and macadamia cream where you need the fruit to maintain its crispness and bright white flesh until the very last bite,” says award-winning author and Montague ambassador Alice Zaslavsky.
Montague and its network of partners have over 326,600 trees across 126 hectares in key growing regions including Stanthorpe in Queensland, the Yarra Valley and Gippsland in Victoria and the Adelaide Hills in South Australia.
envy™ apples are grown to strict specifications to guarantee the fruit meets brand standards, ensuring people can enjoy consistent, quality produce and are available at selected Woolworths, Coles, Costco and greengrocers.