Cool spring weather is not dampening Delta farmer Terry Bremner’s expansion plans.
The owner of Bremner Foods and Wellbrook Winery invested $500,000 in a bottling line for his Bremner’s 100% pure blueberry, cranberry, black cherry and other juices. The line is currently running at only 10% of capacity.
Bremner told Business in Vancouver May 26, while he was on a business trip in Hong Kong, that he expects sales to grow significantly thanks to expanding into eastern Canada and further into Asia.
“It’s an expensive proposition to expand sales in Asia,” Bremner said.
“But the Asian population is looking for quality premium products.”
Bremner attended the Sial China 2011 trade show in Shanghai May 18 -20 as well as a trade show in Korea in April.
His pure cranberry juice sells for about $13 per litre in Vancouver. Ocean Spray cranberry juice, in contrast, contains about 15% cranberry juice with the rest being water and sugar.
Korea slaps a 50% duty on Bremner’s juices, but even with that handicap, Bremner has managed to find traction.
While Bremner’s is the only pure cranberry juice in the Vancouver market, Bremner has had to deal with increased competition from Ohio’s R.W. Knudson Family, which sells 100% cranberry and 100% blueberry juice that is made from concentrate.
Knudson juices normally sell for about $11 per litre, but Nester’s Market recently slashed prices and put the juices on sale for $4 per litre.
“With the Canadian dollar going up and the U.S. dollar going down, it’s easier for them to reduce their prices,” Bremner said.
“Pure juices are more expensive to make and they are a healthier product. When you go to concentrates, there is a further refining process. Our juices are also healthier because we use premium fruit instead of the usual juice-grade fruit.”
Bremner said this year’s blueberry season is three weeks behind schedule, but that it’s too soon to tell how good the season will be.
“If we get some hot weather, it will speed up the season quite rapidly,” he said.
Glen Korstrom
Twitter: @GlenKorstrom