A History Of Quality
All our cherry orchards are in stunning Cromwell, Central Otago, the cherry capital of New Zealand.
With exceptionally mineral rich soil, Cromwell's fruit growing history goes back to the first settlers during the gold rush. The first fruit trees were planted to sustain settlers while they chased their gold-finding dreams. Little did they know that fruit, and particularly cherries, would become the true gold of the region in years to come. You may notice aspects of gold on our 1kg and 2kg boxes. This is to reflect the golden history of our region and emphasise the quality of our fruit - the gold standard!
Pure Otago cherries are grown over 80 hectares of orchards, owned by 11 passionate cherry growers, and packed by Pure Pac. Pure Pac is our harvesting and packing company, which owns our Pure Otago Direct brand.
Together we are committed to delivering the highest quality cherries to our customers around the world. For more information about Pure Pac and our growers visit www.purepac.nz
Why Central Otago?
Central Otago is the heartland of premium New Zealand cherry production.
This region’s unique climate — cold winters providing essential chill and long, dry, sunny summers — gives the trees just the right conditions to produce fruit with exceptional size, sweetness and flavour.
The mineral-rich soils and pure alpine water from the surrounding Southern Alps help ensure every cherry develops its signature vibrant colour and juicy taste. That’s why Central Otago cherries are celebrated both here in NZ and in markets around the world.
Cherry Varieties
These are some of the main varieties grown on 80 hectares of our pristine orchards
Samba
Samba is a self-fertile tree which produces bright, dark red fruit. The shape is that of a flat heart and is a very crunchy, juicy cherry.
Santina
The Santina cherry is a medium sized fruit with moderately sweet flavour. It is highly productive and offers a longer harvest window. It is visually appealing with a glossy black, bright lustre.
Rainier
The rainier cherry is a large and sweet fruit. At maturity, it appears white and yellow, with a red blush and white flesh. When produced well it is a juicy, sweet fruit.
Lapin
This mid-season cherry is a large firm fruit which is medium red in colour, appearing lighter than the December varieties. It is a firm favourite for its sweetness and crunchy texture. This round-heart shaped cherry was named after Dr. Karl Lapin.
Sweetheart
Sweethearts are large, crunchy red fruit with a dark red flesh. They are easily identifiable by their iconic heart shape.
Staccato
Staccato
This cherry is dark red and sweet. Its appearance is an attractive heart-shape and usually becomes ripe mid-end of January.
Did You Know?
You can spot the variety of your cherries by looking at the barcode label on the side of your box 🤩
In Loving Memory - Kirsty Hall
Our Little Big Boss
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our much-loved Manager and friend, Kirsty Hall on the 19th of June 2025.
Kirsty brought over 12 years of experience and passion to the cherry industry. She began her career in Cromwell as an HR Manager, where her dedication, sharp mind, and tireless work quickly saw her role grow to cover HR, compliance, management, logistics, and accounting. In 2018, she joined Pure Pac as Corporate Services Manager and, through her outstanding leadership, became General Manager in 2021.
But Kirsty was so much more than her title.
She was loud, unapologetically herself, and always laughing. Her favourite stories became part of the rhythm of our days — often told on repeat, but never losing their charm. She met even the biggest harvest hurdles with calm determination and usually found a way to turn our daily work struggles into something to laugh about.
Kirsty had a refreshingly "black and white" view of the world — she said what needed to be said, and her honesty was something we all came to love and rely on. She brought people together, kept the team grounded, and had a way of making the toughest days lighter.
Her warmth, humour, and the steady support she gave to all of us will never be forgotten. We hold her memory close and extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.