Could kiwi berries be the next big thing? This Northern Rivers grower thinks so

AFTER taking time out to have children, Natalie Bell returned to the family berry business eager to take on a new challenge.

Looking for a project she could build from the ground up, Bell began researching emerging fruit products from around the world and soon discovered kiwi berries – a bite-sized variety of kiwifruit with smooth, hairless skin that can be eaten whole, much like a berry or grape.

“What really hooked me is that they’re a ready-to-eat product with all the benefits of a kiwifruit,” she said. “As a time-poor mum of two, I’m forever trying to fill lunchboxes, and here was something convenient that still packs a real punch of goodness. They’re also a consistently sweet eating experience and having grown up with my family’s commitment to flavoursome berries, the kiwi berry just sits perfectly within that ethos for me.”

Bell’s second-generation Lindendale business, Tallogum Berries, which also produces blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, began growing kiwi berries in 2023.

Now the company is preparing to transform them from a little-known novelty fruit into a reliable and commercially viable crop after securing almost $500,000 through the latest Coles Nurture Fund – a grant program established by the supermarket chain to support small and medium-sized Australian farmers and food producers.

The project will enable the business to trial selected varieties on a larger scale and work towards extending the fruit’s naturally short supply window while maintaining a focus on flavour, quality and consistency.

“Practically, it means we can progress selected genetics into commercial testing and look closely at things like taste, sweetness, shelf appearance and overall commercial potential,” Bell said.

“Right now kiwi berries are only available for a really short window, so a big focus is extending that season.

“My goal is to get to a six-month supply within the next 10 years, and we’ll do that through extended growing regions and variety commercialisation.”

Bell has worked across the berry supply chain for around 20 years, with experience spanning farming, marketing, farm development, infrastructure and new product development.

“When I first came into blueberries, only about one in three people had ever tried one, and now they’re on supermarket shelves almost year-round,” she said. “I see exactly that same opportunity with kiwiberries. Awareness is still really low, but once people try them, especially families, I think they’ll completely understand why we’re so excited.

“My dream is for everyone to have tried a kiwi berry and to be popping them into their weekly shop right alongside the other berries, and ultimately for us to become a globally recognised leader in kiwi berries.”

The Coles Nurture Fund has awarded more than $43m to more than 100 Australian businesses since 2015.

Small and medium-sized Australian businesses are encouraged to apply for the next round of funding when applications open in January 2027.