We love blueberries – and it turns out the rest of New Zealand does too!

Village PR has been working with Blueberries New Zealand for six seasons, and in that time, the popularity of the fruit has taken off. We brought Olympian Eliza McCartney on board and focussed the message to appeal to the right market and the tactics are paying off.

New Zealanders are devouring an additional one million punnets of blueberries every year and our renewed focus on maintaining good health will likely see sales skyrocket again this summer.

New grocery statistics show we consumed a record 8 million punnets of blueberries last year worth over $30 million – a 1.1 million punnet increase (or 15.2%) on the 2019/20 blueberry season. An almost identical rise was recorded the year before.

Blueberries New Zealand Chairman Dan Peach attributes that success to a number of factors including the fruit’s high-profile partnership with Eliza McCartney who has been their ambassador for the past five years.

But he also predicts our COVID-19 lockdown experience will likely push sales up even further this summer.

 “In my opinion, people have genuinely reconnected with real food this year, particularly fruit and vegetables. Blueberry sales will certainly benefit from that trend, as people focus on the health benefits of what they’re eating and look to increase their consumption of superfoods, such as blueberries.” 

“They contain higher antioxidant levels than just about every other fruit and vegetable,” Dan explains. “They’re low in calories, high in nutrients, and will help improve your mood.”

The flavonoid, anthocyanin, gives blueberries their colour and is the antioxidant with the greatest impact against free-radical damage. Antioxidants in blueberries slow down the brain’s aging process, therefore delaying mental decline. 

“Blueberries pack a real punch with the positive effect they have on gut health, anti-aging, brain function and can lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.”

Bottom line: get your blueberries now. They’reperfect for a quick, convenient snack or to add to summer salads, picnics and desserts. 

“We’re confident New Zealanders will continue their love of blueberries! There will be plenty of punnets on supermarket shelves between now and March, so enjoy them while you can.”