17 Jun 2016

Tokotea Tomatoes Tempt Tastebuds

From Country Life, 9:21 pm on 17 June 2016
Jo Gibson Tokotea Tomatoes Hawkes Bay

Jo Gibson Tokotea Tomatoes Hawkes Bay Photo: RNZ/Susan Murray

In New Zealand we spend about $100 million a year on fresh tomatoes, by value it's the number one seller. Most of the fresh tomatoes are grown in hothouses and only a handful of growers, generally with heritage tomatoes, supply outdoor ones.

But one young Hawkes Bay couple are hoping to make high tasting, quality, outdoor tomatoes more available.

Jo Gibson and Stu Morley have a background in tomato harvesting and they set up Tokotea Fresh earlier this year. They bought a harvesting machine to make picking more cost effective and have been supplying a local supermarket. They aim to expand those outlets, and as well as the fresh vegetable, they're planning to sell bottled juice made from 100% squeezed tomatoes, rather than from concentrate.