Australia
October 17, 2011
Bel Oro™ – beautiful gold – describes a colour as much as a taste. This fruit will come to be associated with a unique, sweet flavour, part of the new spectrum of tropical and temperate fruits being eagerly accepted into Australian kitchens.
You can’t miss the bright golden-yellow colour of a ripe Bel Oro™; and with naturally high sweetness, Bel Oro has a taste the whole family will love. The dense, apricot-coloured flesh, easy-to-slice shape and texture is moorish in its natural form or conducive to a broad range of dishes.
Thought to originate in far north-east Asia, the Bel Oro™ fruit could have easily been included among the mainstream, but is only now making an impact through the endeavours of a close knit group of Queensland farming entrepreneurs.
“Catching the eye of the consumers, the distinctive appearance of Bel Oro clearly differentiates the product in the Australian melon category”, said Jason Beeston, Marketing and Wholesale Manager, BeeMart Enterprises, Queensland.
BeeMart partner Ken Duncan is known as the developer and grower of Ken’s Special (Kent or Jap) pumpkins and he and his football mate Keith Martens are among some of Australia’s best melon growers
Leading chefs have already discovered many unique ways to prepare and present this luscious new fruit, the potential is endless for this superior alternative, adaptable from a simple fruit platter at home to dynamic invention within a modern restaurant.
The Bel Oro has a long growing season exceeding three months, with an exceptional shelf life at least as long if kept in cool storage. The Bel Oro is bred to maintain its texture, sweetness and flavour once harvested; offering restaurateurs and retailers a dependably ripe, attractive fruit with uniquely consistent weight, durability and richness of flavour.
“Initial trials last year generated enthusiastic interest from the Australian and Asian markets. The attributes of the Bel Oro™ are highly sought-after by food service providers and retailers” said Beeston.
Bel Oro’s nutritional benefits abound, being high in a wide range of essential vitamins and antioxidants, as well as low GI and fat-free.
“It has been a long but exciting road to finally reach the goal of commercially growing our first crops of Bel Oro. To be able to grow a product that has so much interest not only in the markets, but from the public has been a privilege to be a part of,” said Ken.
Jason Beeston and his dad Neville are responsible for the wholesaling, packing and marketing of BeeMart’s superb produce – cultivated in the rich farmlands of Bundaberg, Lakelands, Chinchilla and Ayr in the Burdekin region of North Queensland.
These Queenslanders saw much of their land inundated by the 2010 and 2011 floods, but have placed their faith firmly in this delicious new fruit variety.
Bel Oro™ from BeeMart are available through selected restaurants and quality grocers, and for wholesale purchase from the following agents in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
Bel Oro™ Brochure
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