A SOUTH Australian vegetable growing company has put its faith behind one of the newest vegetables on the landscape, doubling his planting of kalettes.
South Australian grower, Samwell & Sons, has planted twice as many Kalettes this year, following the success of the vegetable on customers’ plates in 2016.
Kalettes are a cross between kale and Brussel sprouts, the result of 15 years breeding from British vegetable seed house, Tozer Seeds.
Kalettes are grown in the Adelaide Hills in collaboration with Fresh Select, and are available exclusively through Coles.
Almost 65,000 kilograms of Kalettes are expected to be sold in Coles supermarkets this year as the hybrid vegetable appears back on shelves.
Over the past two years, the grower's Kalettes crop has grown five-fold from 12,000kg in 2015 to 65,000kg this year.
Kalettes follow the trend of new vegetable introductions to the Australian repertoire such as broccolini which was introduced almost a decade ago, and is also part of the Perfection Fresh range.
Samwell & Sons managing director, Scott Samwell, saw the Kalettes trend emerging around the globe and recognised the opportunity to introduce the vegetable to the Australian market.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the interest in Kalettes since their debut two years ago," Mr Samwell said.
“My family has been growing Brussels sprouts for more than 50 years and to be able to work with Fresh Select to bring a new vegetable to Aussies has been really important to our business.
"They’re quick and versatile making it easy for Australians to add something delicious and different to their meals."
The broader Samwell family owns Eastbrook Vegetable Farms, one of the largest growers of Brussels sprouts in Australia.
Coles general manager fresh produce, Brad Gorman, said the company's customers’ love for Kalettes continues to grow.
"So we’re excited to have a partner in Fresh Select and Samwell & Sons to supply an additional 30,000kg this year," he said.
“Coles is committed to supporting innovation in farming and growers like the Samwell family, who are willing to explore opportunities and take a chance on something bold - such as bringing in a brand new vegetable to Australia for our customers to try.
“We’re delighted to see how much Australians have embraced Kalettes and are excited to see this season’s harvest available on our shelves.”
Kalettes are available at Coles supermarkets nationally in a 160 gram pre-packaged bag and loose in select stores.
Coles has collaborated with celebrity nutritionist and fresh produce advocate, Lola Berry, to create some YouTube videos and recipes using kalettes.
Kalettes can be sautéed, steamed, blanched, roasted or grilled or eaten raw in salads.