By CASEY NEILL
OFFICER’S Bellevue Orchard has added a new product to shelves and another nod to its list of accolades.
The family company’s Summer Snow juice brand was a finalist for the Food and Fibre Processing Award at the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame gala dinner on Thursday 9 June.
Andrew Peace Wines beat Bellevue to the trophy, as LangTech International did last year.
But making the coveted shortlist two years in a row was quite a feat in itself.
Summer Snow co-manager Nick Russo said it recognised hard work.
“We’ve been expanding consistently over the last four to five years,” he said.
“There’s another round of expansion happening at the moment.
“Most recently we’ve been installing new storage vats and upgrading all of our processing equipment.
“We have been working pretty hard here.”
Bellevue this month released a new product – sparkling apple juice in a glass bottle.
“We’ve always done pure apple juice – 100 per cent Australian fruit, no preservatives, no added sugar,” Mr Russo said.
“It’s always been in PET plastic.
“We’ve wanted to do something a little bit different for a little while now.”
The lightly-carbonated, single-strength apple juice is served in a 330 millilitre bottle.
“All of the other traditions hold true,” Mr Russo said.
“We’re really excited about it and it’s getting a great response already.
“We’ve been sending samples around and we’re hoping that we’ll start to see them hit the shelves over the next week.
“That forms part of re-inventing the range.
“We’re hoping to release a few more products over the next 12 months.
“We’ve got our eye on the school and nursing home and health avenues.”
Mr Russo runs Bellevue alongside his cousin Bernadette Russo.
The orchard has supplied fresh apples and pears to markets and grocers since the 1950s.
Angelo Russo and his brothers first bought Bellevue Orchard into the family, and Nick’s father Robert and Bernadette’s father Joe purchased it in 1977.
A hail storm that ripped through the orchard right before harvest in 1998 inspired the family to install an apple juicing plant to retrieve some value from the damaged fruit.
The Summer Snow brand was born.
The Russos crush, juice, filter and bottle local fruit in various blends and without additives.
Bellevue was crowned Cardinia’s Business of the Year in 2012.
