WESTERWAY Raspberry Farm has agreed to supply 50,000 kilograms of locally grown raspberries to the Cascade Brewery, putting a halt to the use of imported fruits in their drinks.

The deal, struck with the brewery’s parent company Asahi, will see the fruits being pressed and processed at the Cascade Brewery in Hobart, where it will then go to flavouring Mercury Cider, as well as Spring Valley fruit juice, Cottee’s cordial and Pop Tops.

Asahi Beverages general manager of procurement, Dave Baxter, said the change to Tasmanian grown raspberries was made because of their quality and the reliability of supply.

“We know the best beverages are made with the best raw ingredients – and it really doesn’t get much better than being able to source fresh, world-class produce while supporting local farmers,” Mr Baxter said.
“Spring Valley, Cottee’s, Pop Tops and Mercury Cider are iconic Australian brands and we are proud that we get to help Tasmanian farmers showcase their quality produce to the rest of Australia.”

Westerway Raspberry Farm is the largest processing berry grower in Tasmania.

Farm owner Richard Clark said the new partnership would support local jobs and the community.

“This deal will enable us to plant more fruit, employ more people and give greater security and certainty to those Tasmanians we already employ,” Mr Clark said.
“We are a family business and take a lot of pride in what we do. “Supplying our fruit to a local quality processor at Cascade enables us to showcase our berries in the best possible light.
“It means we are not compromising on the flavour which is important to us because we take care to grow our berries in the best Tassie soils and use local pristine water to irrigate,” Mr Clark said.

The Tasmanian-fruit-filled beverages will be on shelves later this year.