Meet the grower: Eden Orchards

From humble beginnings in New Zealand’s cherry country, Eden Orchards has grown into a beloved brand, known for their 100% pure cherry & blueberry juices. We spoke with Founder Cameron Bignell to learn more about their journey, their passion for quality & what goes on behind the scenes during harvest season.

Tell us about the products you provide us with

Our 100% Pure Cherry Juice is made with over 2kg of sweet NZ cherries, has no added sugars or preservatives. Each daily serving of 50ml to 100ml packs a powerful punch of antioxidants & anti-inflammatory compounds, making it the ideal solution for sleep, joint pain & inflammation.

Our 100% Blueberry Juice is made with over 1.5kg of sustainably grown, hand-picked & expertly juiced NZ blueberries. Is bursting with vitamins, minerals & antioxidants, including anthocyanins that are credited for their anti-aging effects. Our Cherry & Blueberry Juice is an 85% Cherry & 15%

Blueberry mix which gives consumers the best of both worlds!

Tell us about Eden Orchards & how it all started?

My family have been growing cherries in New Zealand for over 30 years. As we expanded our orchard in 2015, we decided to create a juice range that could make use of the growing volume of imperfect cherries that we had no home for. We knew about the unique health benefits of NZ cherries & decided to make a 100% pure cherry juice that captured these benefits, so customers could enjoy them all year around.

Where are your orchards located?

We still grow cherries in the Tasman region of New Zealand but our juice factory is in Central Otago, where over 90% of New Zealand’s cherries are grown. We located our factory here in order to grow our volume to move closer to the action, ensuring we juice the cherries when they are fresh & the tastiest.

Are there any challenges you face at your orchards?

Our biggest challenge is making enough bottles in the short 6 week cherry season, to last us all year around. We found it critical to the high quality of our juice to make all of our bottles with fresh cherries, rather that frozen cherries or preserved juice. This makes it very hard to forecast & produce, but essential to keep the quality as high as possible.

What is so special about your range of juices?

Our juices are all 100% pure, have no preservatives or additives in them as well as the many health benefits they hold!

What does a typical day look like on the orchard during harvest season?

A typical day in the juice factory begins at 4.30am, where our team begin our 1.50 hour start up procedures. This is sanitising the equipment & cleaning to make sure there is nothing that can negatively impact the quality of our juice.

Our juicing, bottling & labelling staff all start at 7am. They are busy until 5pm making sure that the cherries are washed, juiced, pasteurised, bottled, capped, labelled, boxed & palletised. We have shared break-times so our seasonal staff can get to know each other & even employ our own scone maker to make sure our staff are happy & well fed during morning teas.

A typical day for me is going between our juice factory & the orchards that supply us. I visit the picking teams to make sure the cherries being picked are ripe & tasty, then I visit the packhouses to ensure all of the fruit our way is fresh, washed & up to our high standards.

From 5pm to 7pm we have our cleaning teams back in making sure all of the equipment is washed, maintained & shut down for the night. The managers of all of our areas pour ourselves some samples from the day to refresh, check the taste & talk about the plan for the following day.

How do you ensure the quality & freshness of your juices?

All of our juices are made in the seasons of their respective fruits, so we juice them as soon as they are picked & then they are flash-pasteurized (very high heat treatment very quickly) to kill bacteria, we then seal the bottles immediately. This process ensures the freshness & quality remains consistent throughout its two year shelf life.

Do you have a favourite way to enjoy your juices—any recipes or pairings you love?

I absolutely love making a sparkling cherry drink on a hot day. All it takes is opening our Pure Cherry Juice bottles & mixing 50:50 with sparkling water, over ice. It is a delicious, refreshing drink that still captures the beautiful cherry flavour.

Have there been any stand out moments or milestones for Eden Orchards over the years?

My stand out moments have all been the genuine interactions with our customers. These include customers approaching me at a farmers market, by phone call or email, explaining how the cherry juice has made a difference in their lives.

My most surprising interaction was a customs agent that pulled me aside while flying NZ to Australia. He noticed my branded work-shirt, pulled me aside & told me “how good that cherry juice is that you make, I’ve been sleeping better since taking it”, especially with his shift work.

How do you see your juices fitting into a healthy lifestyle?

Customers can have a glass of our juice with their breakfast to give them a natural energy lift for the day ahead or the Cherry juice shot after a workout for muscle recovery. Alternatively, enjoying some an hour before bed as they're naturally rich in melatonin, which may help support better sleep.