Perfect is so passé. It’s often the misfits and fabulously flawed who have the most to offer this world (we’re looking at you Keith Richards). And the Imperfect Picks range is no different. This motley crew of seasonal fruit and veg may look imperfect on the outside, but they are perfectly good to eat on the inside – after all, beauty is only skin deep – and they come with a whole load of positive vibes. Not only do these odd bods cost you 50 per cent less than their prettier cousins, they’re helping food producers and the planet as well. Woot! Woot!
You can add value with values
With our cost of living currently soaring, there’s never been a better time to embrace this funny-looking food. Supply chain issues due to COVID, rising inflation, and our farmers being hit by both floods and droughts, mean the price of fresh food remains high. But the Imperfect Picks seasonal range means you and your family never have to miss out on an abundance of fresh and healthy food straight from Mother Nature.
“With Imperfect Picks up to 50 per cent cheaper than our premium lines, it’s a way for consumers to save money on their shop, not cut back on the goodness of fresh fruit and veg, and help our farmers and the environment at the same time,” says Tristan Harris, Co-CEO of Harris Farm Markets.
They’re fabulous for farmers
The Imperfect Picks range assists Aussie farmers by taking a lot more of their crops. A staggering 25 per cent of fruit and vegies currently never leave the farm gate simply because they are a bit strange looking, and do not meet the visual expectations of some consumers and supermarkets, according to Horticulture Australia. (That’s a quarter of our national fresh food production being tossed, people!) Always an industry frontrunner in sustainable practices, Harris Farm was the first grocery chain to introduce an Imperfect Picks range back in 2014. And it’s proving a lifeline to our growers, who are not only reaping more financial reward, but are not losing their hard-won harvests to landfill.
With Imperfect Picks up to 50 per cent cheaper than our premium lines, it’s a way for consumers to save money on their shop.
“I think the Harris Farm campaign is a great initiative,” says NSW citrus farmer John Sergi. “It teaches people that imperfect fruit doesn’t mean that it tastes bad – it’s just as good, if not better.”
Perfect for the planet
By recognising the goodness of Imperfect Picks you’re doing wonderful things for our precious planet – so far, more than 33 million kilos of imperfect fruit and veg have been sold by Harris Farm Markets, and therefore diverted from landfill.
If these kinky carrots, strange strawberries, lumpy lemons, twisted turnips and lots more Imperfects had not been recognised for their great inner taste, they would end up as waste – which is a huge contributor to climate change.
Food wastage accounts for around six per cent of all greenhouse gases globally – a bigger issue than plastics, which is saying a lot. Australians throw out a whopping 7.3 million tonnes of food every year, according to Foodbank Australia, which is obviously way too much. To help combat climate change, it’s clear we need to look at food differently. So no more fruit shaming or sledging veg simply for its refusal to conform to a visual ideal. After all, it’s what’s on the inside that counts – and these beautiful freaks are our superheroes in disguise.
