Victorian based company, Matilda’s, which launched the country’s first locally grown frozen berries range following the Hep A scandal in 2015, has now expanded its range.
Matilda’s was launched by third generation strawberry farmers Matt and Ruth Gallace after dozens of people contracted Hepatitis A from eating contaminated frozen mixed berries, which were imported.
Matilda’s berries – available to both consumers and the foodservice sector – are sourced locally from Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, as well as other Australian growers.
The company initially launched with just a frozen strawberries product, but now has extended the range.
Co-founder Ruth Gallace said “It’s so nice to see consumers who asked for this product a year ago, now really backing us and it’s meant we’ve been able to move into a seasonal mixed berry product, blueberries and mangoes.”
She said as with the strawberries, all of the new range will list exactly where the fruit has been sourced from.
“We’re fielding lots of enquiries at the moment from chefs and gourmet food producers who are seeking quality and provenance. They want to ensure they’re using the highest quality local produce available and clearly buying Australian is important to them. We understand there’s an incredible amount of trust they’re putting in our product.”