Raise the bar on exotic fruit

Returning to Italy from Hawaii, Pietro recognised how Messina’s subtropical climate and rich coastal soil offered up similar conditions — ideal for growing mangoes and lychees. Since then he has single-handedly pioneered the growth of exotic fruits in Sicily, inspiring many other growers to try their hand.

Crucially, he only harvests his fruit once they are fully ripe. For Lychees, which cannot ripen off the branch, this is the key to plump, complex flesh. Mangoes can ripen once they have been picked but their Brix levels will never reach the same highs as tree-ripened fruits. Where the average mango has a Brix of 6, Pietro’s can hit Brix 23.

We bend our supply chain so they are with us within three days. This direct supply eliminates the need for post harvest treatment to maintain them over long storage periods. As such, skins and shells may darken, but the fruit inside will remain perfect.