Our spray-free avocados are Hass, the most common commercial variety in New Zealand – and for good reason. Hass avocados have a lovely, silky, creamy texture and are perfect for guacamole, salads, on toast or simply eaten with a spoon. Green and hard when unripe, they slowly turn a dark green/black colour and soften when they are ready to eat.

All of the commercial Hass avocado trees around today descend from a single Californian tree. Grown from seed by Rudolph Hass in 1926, this lone tree was very nearly chopped down, as Mr Hass was frustrated at its slow growth and inability to produce fruit! Luckily for us, he had mercy on the seedling and many years later it was the first tree in the US to be patented.

Classified as a berry, avocados are surprisingly high in vitamin K, which plays an important role in blood clotting - giving 26% of your daily recommended intake in every 100 grams. Vitamin K can also help prevent and treat osteoporosis. There is also generous servings of fibre, folate, vitamin C and potassium hiding in that dreamy guacamole. Let’s not forget that avocados are brimming with healthy fats, great for lowering cholesterol.

Once picked, avocados take 7-14 days to ripen, depending on where they are stored. Warmer temperatures speed up ripening and avocados ripen faster towards the end of the season. The fastest way to ripen an avocado is inside a brown paper bag with a ripe banana in the hot-water cupboard. Once ripe, you can keep them in the fridge for a few days if required.

We source ours from local growers here in Gisborne.

Our avocados are hand-picked, packed and transported with care – no squeezing, poking and prodding by other shoppers at the supermarket means no bruises. Handled with the utmost care, once you try one of our delicious avocados you won’t believe what you've been missing out on!