Consumer Trends in Fresh Produce | Flavorite Group Case Study

April 7, 2026

After visiting trade shows like The Global Produce & Floral Show in Orlando, and Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Flavorite noticed a trend toward packs of smaller, sweet-tasting fruit and vegetables to appeal to time-poor consumers and for lunch boxes.

Hear from Sam Kisvarda, Chief Marketing Officer, Flavorite Group about the journey to bring unique "mini" products to the Australian market to solve a consumer need.

At a Glance

Company
Flavorite Group (Australia's largest glasshouse producer)

Interviewee
Sam Kisvarda, Chief Marketing Officer

The Challenge
Meeting the demand for healthy, convenient, time-poor consumer snacking.

The Solution
Launching the "tiny..." sub-brand of micro-vegetables.

Retail Partners
Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi

Can you tell us about Flavorite Group and your own background in the vegetable industry?

Established by the Nichol and Millis families in 1993 with 3,000m2 of plastic hot houses, Flavorite is now Australia's largest glasshouse producer of fresh fruit and vegetables with over 80 hectares of production under glass. Flavorite is family-owned, with three generations of experience growing and supplying premium, fresh produce both nationally and internationally. I began my career in the fresh produce industry in 2001 and joined Flavorite in 2005.

Sam Kisvarda, Chief Marketing Officer at Flavorite Group, smiling in a high-visibility vest while standing between rows of ripening tomatoes in a large glasshouse. — Sam Kisvarda, Chief Marketing Officer, standing among the tomato vines at Flavorite's glasshouse facility.

Why did Flavorite start producing a snacking range for customers?

As part of our consumer research approach, the team visits trade shows like The Global Produce & Floral Show in Orlando and Fruit Logistica in Berlin to better understand consumers and technology in other markets. Around 2018, we noticed a trend toward packs of smaller, sweet-tasting products such as tomatoes, capsicums and cucumbers to appeal to time-poor consumers and for lunch boxes. We know consumers are looking for healthy and convenient options that fit easily into their lives and so we decided to start looking at options for our own business.

"For the range to work, it not only had to be unique and different but also had to solve a consumer need."

— Sam Kisvarda, CMO, Flavorite Group

Person wearing a white apron holding red chilies and a cluster of tomatoes.
We reviewed the categories we already play in and the global insights we had gathered to explore different options. At first, we examined the available smaller varieties of sweet snacking capsicums, their taste profiles, and brix (sugar) levels. We decided to go with a small snacking capsicum with increased flavour to grow in glasshouses. We then examined tomatoes and saw that the microsegment was gaining momentum overseas, with tomatoes the size of blueberries. We then worked with our seed partners to develop the tiny tomato variants we have in Coles, Woolworths and Aldi today, as well as a tiny cucumber variant that's the size of your pinky finger.

How did you scale up production?

We started with smaller trials to learn about the plant habit, labour requirements, quality and consumer demand. As demand from consumers grew for these lines, we began increasing the growing area and working with the supermarkets to develop this range.

How are consumers responding to your new snacking varieties?

It's still early in the piece, and we're still encouraging consumers to try snacking varieties rather than choose conventional tomatoes and cucumbers. We're finding consumers are embracing the novelty of these products and the higher taste profile. We're in a very price-conscious environment at the moment, but we're seeing repeat purchases because it's a great-tasting product that can be used every day and in multiple ways. We expect demand to continue growing.

Do you market the snacking range differently to your traditional, loose vegetable lines?

Yes, we developed a new Flavorite sub-brand called "tiny..." for the group of tiny products, introducing friendly and approachable fonts, and new wording on packs to appeal to customers e.g. teeny, crunchy and burst. The supermarkets group them on the shelf so it's one dedicated spot for customers looking for snacking varieties.

ⓘ Expert Advice:
Responding to Consumer Preferences

My advice to other growers is to conduct thorough research, attend trade shows and learn from overseas markets to stay ahead of shifting consumer preferences. If you have a product you want to try, test it first with a consumer panel to find out if customers like the colour, taste, size and shape. After customer feedback, you can then come up with a plan for the variety you're going to grow, how you're going to grow it and what it's going to be packed into.

CONSUMER TRENDS – INTRODUCING NEW PRODUCTS TO THE MARKET

Can you tell us about Flavorite Group and your own background in the vegetable industry?

Why did Flavorite start producing a snacking range for customers?

How did you scale up production?

How are consumers responding to your new snacking varieties?

Do you market the snacking range differently to your traditional, loose vegetable lines?

ⓘ Expert Advice:
Responding to Consumer Preferences

Related Resources

CONSUMER TRENDS – INTRODUCING NEW PRODUCTS TO THE MARKET

Can you tell us about Flavorite Group and your own background in the vegetable industry?

Why did Flavorite start producing a snacking range for customers?

How did you scale up production?

How are consumers responding to your new snacking varieties?

Do you market the snacking range differently to your traditional, loose vegetable lines?

ⓘ Expert Advice:Responding to Consumer Preferences

Related Resources

ⓘ Expert Advice:
Responding to Consumer Preferences