Hess Bros. partners with Rainier Fruit for Wild Twist apple
Lancaster, Pa.-based Hess Bros. Fruit Co. partnered with Selah, Wash.-based Rainier Fruit Co. to expand its Wild Twist apple program.
After several successful years of sales trials, Hess Bros. will debut Wild Twist to more customers with the help of Rainier Fruit, according to a news release.
“Our customers have been excited to get this apple on the shelf,” Hess Bros. president Andy Figart said in the release. “It’s a phenomenal eating experience and can reinvigorate the apple category from late winter through the summer months, when sales are traditionally slow.”
A cross between HoneyCrisp and cripps pink (the same variety as Pink Lady brand), the Wild Twist delivers a crunch with intricate flavor, according to the release.
“We are always looking for the next big thing, especially in a very crowded field, and we believe that Wild Twist apples are a true game-changer for the category,” Andy Tudor, Rainier Fruit vice president of business development, said in the release.
Consumers should recognize the names of the varietal parents, Tudor said.
In the first phase, half of the Wild Twist volume will be grown by Hess Bros. and half by Rainier Fruit.
“Having production on both coasts will allow for national and regional customers to take advantage of freight efficiencies, as well as maximizing existing relationships,” Figart said.
Wild Twist apples are available now through June. Hess Bros. will be at booth No. 629 and Rainier at booth No. 111 at the Southern Exposure Conference in Tampa, Fla., Feb 27-29.
Related news:
- Eastern apples, branded varieties gear up for good season
- What’s in a name? A lot, when it comes to apples
- Hess Bros. Fruit looks to full apple crop
