Mastronardi Produce’s Mini Kumato Tomato Wins People’s Choice Award For Tomatoes

Kingsville, ON – Gourmet greenhouse grower Mastronardi Produce has once again taken top honors at the annual Hottest Tomato Competition; the company’s SUNSET® Mini Kumato™ tomato was chosen as the People’s Choice Award for Tomatoes for 2013.

With more than 50 different types & varieties of tomatoes on display during the competition, the People’s Choice Award for Tomatoes truly represents what customers enjoy the most in their tomato experience, flavor. The People’s Choice Award is extra special for Mastronardi whose brand position statement is Inspired By Flavor™. Mastronardi’s SUNSET® Mini Kumato™ is the bite sized grape version of the SUNSET® Kumato™ Simply Unique Brown Tomato, which also won for the Hottest Tomato Award for Best Cocktail Tomato.

“The People’s Choice Award is the most important. It truly is the consumer voting, and when you please that majority, you know you have the right flavor for the market,” stated Paul Mastronardi, President. “It was also rewarding winning the People’s Choice Award for Peppers with our Sweet Twister™. These are the two categories where flavor counts”, said Mastronardi. Over the course of 2 days, visitors to the competitions were able to sample dozens of different types of greenhouse produce and vote for their favorites.

In addition to the People’s Choice Award for the SUNSET® Mini Kumato™ tomato, Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET® also received the following awards as a part of the competition:
–        Best Cocktail Tomato; SUNSET® Kumato™ Simply Unique Brown Tomato™
–        Best Cluster/TOV; SUNSET® Loomato™ Heirloom Tomato
–        People’s Choice Award; SUNSET® Sweet Twister™ Pepper
–        Best Orange Pepper; SUNSET® Orange Bell Pepper

“R.E.A.C.H. International is proud to have presented the Greenhouse Competitions for the last 7 years. Last year, the net proceeds from this event sponsored over 50 children to get an education while promoting and supporting North America's largest greenhouse industry. We are thankful to all the Growers, Marketers and Corporate Sponsors who make this event so successful year after year.”, stated Art Barron, President of R.E.A.C.H. International. R.E.A.C.H. International, a locally funded charitable organization, hosts this event each year. The net proceeds from this year’s event will be used for R.E.A.CH.’s main project in Uganda, Africa.

In addition to receiving these top awards, Mastronardi Produce also received top honours recently from the International Taste and Quality Institute (ITQI)  for its SUNSET® Angel Sweet™ tomato and ONE SWEET™ Peppers for their exceptional taste & overall flavour. This is the fourth consecutive year that Mastronardi has been recognized by the institute for its gourmet tomatoes.

To learn more about SUNSET ® brand produce, please visit sunsetgrown.com .

Mastronardi Produce is a pioneer and industry leader in the gourmet greenhouse industry that grows & markets nationally recognized brands such as the Campari®, Zima™, Angel Sweet™, and Kumato™ brand tomatoes under its SUNSET® label. Family owned & employee managed for more than 50 years, Mastronardi prides itself in producing consistently flavorful gourmet tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Source: Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET®