Sunset® won awards in nine categories at the 12th Annual Leamington Greenhouse Competition, earning it the most accolades of the two-day competition.
In addition to receiving Best Overall Strawberry for the dreamberry™, part of the new WOW™ berry line, Sunset® Qukes™ was named best cocktail cucumber and both People’s and Kids’ Choice Cucumber. The striped Aloha™ pepper won Kids’ Choice Pepper and best specialty bell pepper; Sunset® orange bell pepper also received first place in its category. In addition, Campari® won best cocktail tomato and red Sweet Twister™ won best specialty long pepper.
Milla Mastronardi; Melanie Mastronardi, Project Coordinator, Community; Jen Wheatley, Communications Manager
“This competition is focused on flavor, which is the driving force behind everything we do,” says Paul Mastronardi, President and CEO, and the fourth-generation family member to lead Mastronardi Produce. “We’re proud to support and be recognized by our local community.”
NatureFresh™ Farms
NatureFresh™ Farms took home top awards in the categories Best English Cucumber, Best Speciality Mini Pepper, Best Beefsteak Tomato, Best Cluster Tomato, Best Speciality Tomato for the TOMZ Orange Cherry Tomato, People’s Choice Tomato for the TOMZ Tomberry® Tomato, Kid’s Choice Tomato for their TOMZ Tomberry® Tomato, Overall Best Cucumber for their Long English Cucumber, Overall Best Tomato for their TOMZ Orange Cherry Tomato and Overall Best Pepper for their Red Mini Pepper.
Accepting the awards on behalf of NatureFresh™ Farms was Executive Retail Sales Account Manager Matt Quiring, “We have an amazing team who works very hard to ensure our produce has top-notch flavor paired with consistency. Winning the highest overall honors across the board is a great testament to what our team can accomplish; it is more than just about showcasing the best that we grow, it is about our commitment to continuing to push our categories in the right direction.”
This is the second year in a row that NatureFresh™ Farms has won the Peoples Choice Award for Hottest Tomato and the Kids’ Choice Award for Hottest Tomato for their Tomberry® Tomato. This tomato with a unique flavor profile & dubbed the World’s Smallest Tomato is one that has seen great response from consumers & continues to grow in demand.
Entries are judged through a blind taste test by a panel of experts, including representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs, chefs, and produce managers. All entries are then voted on by the public. The annual greenhouse competition is hosted by R.E.A.C.H. International, a locally funded charitable organization. Proceeds of the contest support the development of schools and clinics in Uganda.
For more information:
Jen Wheatley
Sunset/Mastronardi Produce
Tel: +1 (519) 326-3218
jennifer.wheatley@sunsetgrown.com
sales@sunsetgrown.com
Kara Badder
NatureFresh Farms
Ph: +1 (519) 326-1111
info@naturefresh.ca
www.naturefresh.ca