Solar-powered plant to help Island Berries double production

A LOCAL food manufacturer is set to open a cutting-edge solar-powered production plant.

L-R Janell (Janell) Cartledge production staff member and Andre Richardson managing director of Island Berries Tasmania. Island Berries Tasmania launching new facilities at Cambridge. Picture Nikki Davis-Jones

STARTING with a simple idea making one product, a local food manufacturer, which now uses 56 tonnes of Tasmanian fruit in 50 different products, will officially open a cutting-edge solar-powered production plant at Cambridge today.

Island Berries managing director Andre Richardson said he planned to more than double production in the next 12 months with the new plant.

The company, which started from humble beginnings 18 years ago, now has 35 staff.

Using produce from Tasmanian growers, the company uses quality fruit to make products including gourmet desserts, fruit drinks, jams, chutneys, syrups and fruit pastes.

“Our focus is quality Tasmanian produce because it’s the best. We are now exporting most of our product range interstate,” Mr Richardson said.

“We have the raw materials here to produce products equal to, and better than, our mainland counterparts.”

Island Berries’ marketing and development manager Tracy Fry said the company was in talks with Taiwanese buyers to produce an apple and blackcurrant puree from Tasmanian fruit to be used in baby food.

They are also trialling a healthy apple and blackcurrant fruit drink, using fruit from Lucaston Park Orchards at Ranelagh for school canteens.

Fruit puree is already being used by the food industry, especially in hospitals and care homes.

The company uses more than 60 tonnes of cream for making panna cotta.

Governor Kate Warner will open the plant at 3pm today.

Island Berries received almost $100,000 in grants from the State Government’s Innovation and Investment Fund to help develop the plant.