Our Seasonal Varieties of NZ Produce

FruitDirect is located in Nelson on Echodale Orchard, a proudly NZ owned, fifth-generation family business which has been operating since 1915. With 40-hectares of pip fruit orchards flourishing with seasonal beauty, FruitDirect is dedicated to bringing you the best quality produce delivered straight from the orchard to your door. The beautiful Nelson sunshine combined with the rich soils in the foothills of Richmond produce the best tasting pip fruit you can imagine. We have carefully chosen to grow many specific varieties of apples and pears based on their flavour, texture and freshness. We strive to always deliver the highest quality apples and pears all year round so we have carefully selected the particular varieties we grow so that these summer fruits can be picked and stored in the perfect conditions to retain optimum freshness. This sometimes comes as a surprise to our customers, but rest assured this is very standard practice in New Zealand, to ensure Kiwis have healthy, vitamin rich fruit all year round! We are always happy to answer any questions you have around this.

The Champion Apple

This exclusive variety of apple is a cross between Red Braeburn and Red Delicious. Champion™ was founded and grown in Nelson and is currently being tested for market acceptance and has had a very positive response. One group of sellers said “it was the best apple they had all year” (2012).

The Champion™ apple is highly coloured with a deep red tone. It has a very juicy, crisp texture with a refreshing, slightly tangy taste which it has inherited from the Braeburn. It is a fantastic eating apple and stores well, therefore tends to always be crisp, crunchy and fresh! Perfect for school lunch boxes or added to the picnic basket. The Champion™ is also a great dessert apple, makes wonderful pies, crumbles, shortcakes, sauces and many other cooking alternatives.

NZ Rose Apple

NZ Rose is a spotted apple with a red rose flush across its skin. It is a very crisp, juicy apple with sweet flavours.

Red Braeburn Apple

Red Braeburn is very similar to Braeburn. It is an aromatic apple with an extremely juicy texture and a sweet-tart taste, but has a much redder colouring than the standard Braeburn apple.

Royal Gala Apple

Royal Gala is an aromatic fruit with attractive vibrant colouring. It has vibrant red stripes over a creamy yellow skin. It offers a juicy crunch and a sweet flavour. This apple is considered to be the sweetest of all.

Oratia Beauty Apple

The Oratia tastes similar to a Cox’s Orange Pippin with a sweet-tart flavour. It is a crunchy light green apple with vibrant red streaks.

Cox's Orange Apple

Cox’s Orange Pippin is a bright apple striped with red. It is highly regarded due to its excellent flavour. The flavour and texture of the variety changes from a sophisticated acidic, crunchy apple to a softer and mellower eat after storage.

Granny Smith Apple

Granny Smith apples have a vibrant green skin, with white flesh. Their flesh is very juicy and firm with a tart-sweet flavour and a crisp texture.

Morettini Pear

The Morettini is a pointed pear with a red blush. This early season pear has a white flesh with a juicy soft texture. The flavour is mild, but attractive, and there is a tart background taste to contrast the early season sweetness.

William Bon Chretien Pear (WBC)

William Bon Chretien (WBC) have rounded bell bottom with a distinctive shoulder and small stem giving them the ideal “pear figure”. They are an aromatic pear with mildly sweet flavour which can be enjoyed when the pear has a light yellow hue to it.

Packham's Triumph Pear

Packham pears have a bumpy green skin which develops a yellow cast when fully ripe. It is a perfumed pear and its flesh is delectably sweet and juicy.

Beurre Bosc Pear

The Bosc’s shape is very different to other pears; it has a long tapering neck and lengthy stem with colouring ranging from a deep yellowish-brown to a dark tan. Its skin is brushed with bronze russet and has a succulent flesh which tastes sweetly spicy.

Taylors Gold Pear

Taylors gold is a very tender, juicy pear with a cinnamon coloured russet skin. It is delicately scented and its flesh displays a rich, sweet flavour.

Winter Nelis Pear

Winter Nelis Pears are not very attractive. They are a squat shape and have a dull pale green skin, which turns yellowish when it is ripe, with large amounts of russet. The flavour of a Winter Nelis makes up for its appearance. It is a wonderfully perfumed pear with a sweet, juicy, buttery flesh.

Satsuma Silverhill Mandarins

Our mandarins are locally grown in Hope next to our orchard. They are spray free, easy peel.

Seasonal Veges

Our Veges are locally grown across the Waimea Plains of Nelson. The selection of veges in both our small and large cartons change weekly due to seasonal availability but are always fresh & delicious!