WENATCHEE, Wash. – Cherries are an impulse purchase and Stemilt is spending the month of July making sure that the beloved fruit makes a big impact in produce departments with the return of its premium Kyle’s Pick® cherries.
Introduced in 2013, Kyle’s Pick® cherry packs are made up of select, high-quality cherry varieties that meet standards for size, firmness, and sugars. The premium pack was designed to help retailers differentiate cherry size and flavors during the key July time frame for the cherry category.
“July is a big month for selling cherries,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt communications manager. “Kyle’s Pick® is a signature program at Stemilt that helps retailers encourage impulse purchases of cherries. People buy with their eyes, and Kyle’s Pick® packs stand out because of our commitment to ensuring the cherries inside are big, fresh, and have deep colors to stand out.”
Kyle Mathison is a fourth-generation cherry grower and the namesake behind Kyle’s Pick® cherries. He has grown cherries at the renowned Stemilt Hill locale near Wenatchee, WA for more than four decades. Cherries that make the cut into Kyle’s Pick® packs are ones that Mathison himself approves of in terms of size and quality.
“Kyle’s approval of cherries isn’t easy to acquire and that’s what makes Kyle’s Pick® cherries so special,” said Shales. “He is known for scouring the world to find new cherry varieties worthy of growing. His personal mantra of building ‘memory and trust’ with consumers guides his harvest and means that many of the delicious cherries you’ll find in Kyle’s Pick® cherries are grown by Kyle himself.”
Stemilt reserves select dark-sweet cherry varieties for the Kyle’s Pick® programs, including Skeena and Sweetheart. Size is another important qualifier of this pack. Washington State’s long spring and warm growing season meant cherries have experienced longer ‘hang time’ on the tree, helping fruit grow big and full of dessert flavors.
“It’s Kyle’s first week of harvest for the 2019 cherry crop, and he is already zeroing in on exactly what fruit should be in Kyle’s Pick® packs,” said Shales. “Mediocre doesn’t make the cut. The cherries must be big and have deep red to mahogany hues. No one wins if the cherries are picked before their prime. Kyle knows that and will wait to harvest until his fruit meets his expectations of World Famous.”
Kyle’s Pick® premium cherries are available in random-weight pouch bags as well as 1lb. and 2lb. clamshells. Every package is stamped with the Kyle’s Pick® emblem. Stemilt’s continuous harvest in July means that Kyle’s Pick® packs are available all month. In early August, Mathison will transition his harvest to high-elevation orchards, called Amigos. At that time, Stemilt begins packing its A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherry pack. These cherries continue the premium offering that Kyle’s Pick® starts but also celebrate how the lunar cycle and elevation can create a memorable cherry eating experience.
“These signature programs are designed to showcase cherries with flavors that wow shoppers,” said Shales. “After all, a memorable experience will bring shoppers back to the store to purchase cherries again, and that’s how we collectively can make a big impact on cherry sales during the final two months of the season.”
For more information on Kyle’s Pick® cherries, contact your Stemilt Sales Representative.
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About Stemilt
Stemilt Growers is a leading tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is a leading shipper of sweet cherries and organic tree fruits. Stemilt has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainable agriculture and social responsibility since 1989, when founder Tom Mathison launched the company’s Responsible Choice program. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com and follow Stemilt on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
