Thomas Bros Orchards
- Our Fruit

Apples, kiwifruit & cherries

NZ Fruit Growers

A diverse range of Premium fruit

At Thomas Bros Ltd, we grow a diverse range of premium fruit, with kiwifruit and apples sitting equally at the core of our operation. This balance allows us to spread risk, maintain resilience, and deliver consistently high-quality fruit across multiple export programmes.

We grow approximately 84 hectares of kiwifruit for Zespri International, making us the largest kiwifruit grower in the South Island. Our orchards include all three of Zespri’s main varieties; Green, SunGold™ and RubyRed™ kiwifruit.

Alongside kiwifruit, we grow around 70 hectares of apples and pears, producing a wide range of varieties for multiple exporters. These include Royal Gala strains, Premier Star, Koru, Envy, Redhead, Roxy, and Fizz, as well as pears.

In addition, we grow 2.2 hectares of cherries, adding further diversity to our orchard mix and reflecting our willingness to invest in high-value crops where site and climate allow.

Our Apples

Fizz®

Fizz® apple is a crisp, vibrant variety with striking pink flesh, delivering bright sweetness and a refreshing, lively bite in every slice.

Dazzle®

Dazzle® apple is a brilliantly red, ultra-crisp variety with a clean, honeyed sweetness. Bold in colour, refreshing in crunch, and made to stand out.

Royal Gala

Royal Gala apples (and strains) are beautifully striped, crisp, and delicately sweet. An easy-eating classic known for their smooth texture, gentle flavour, and dependable freshness. One of our key staples at Thomas Bros.

Braeburn

Braeburn apple is a firm, aromatic variety with a lively balance of sweet and tangy. Crisp, juicy, and full of classic orchard flavour. We have been growing this one for decades.

Roxy®

Roxy® apple is an early-season, vibrant pink-red New Zealand variety with a bold look and rich, heritage-inspired flavour. Juicy, flavourful, and ready ahead of Gala.

Premier Star®

Premier Star® apple is our first apple for harvest. It is ready early February and is crisp, sweet, and dark red.

Envy®

Envy® apple is a premium, ruby-red variety prized for its exceptional crunch and naturally sweet, honey-like flavour. Crisp, juicy, and beautifully refined.

Koru®

Koru® apple Is a large mostly red crisp and sweet apple. Best eaten out of Coolstore after a few months, this variety was found by a local grower Jeff Plunkett in his back yard.

Pink Lady®

Pink Lady (also known as Lady in Red) is a striking, deep-crimson variety with a crisp texture and smooth, delicate sweetness. Elegant, juicy, and made to impress. This is our last Variety to harvest in early May.

Our kiwifruit

ZESPRI™ SUNGOLD™

Golden and gloriously sweet

Three times the vitamin C of an orange makes SunGold kiwifruit a robust fortifier of your body's natural defenses, and it is deliciously sweet.

ZESPRI™ Green

Green means go for zest and zing

Full of flavour but with palate cleansing acidity, our kiwifruit are rich in fibre and packed with the enzyme actinidin which are brilliant for digestion.

ZESPRI™ Rubyred™

Golden and gloriously sweet

Discover one of nature’s true delights! Its vibrant red flesh and tempting berry flavours, Zespri RubyRed™ is high in antioxidants and is the irresistible treat that loves you back!

Our cherries

Grown for the local market

Our range of fresh cherries

Earlise

One of the first cherries to ripen, bringing bright, cherry-red fruit to kick off the season. Offers a pleasantly sweet, mild flavour with a clean finish, a fresh and cheerful first taste of summer.

Rosann

An early to mid-season variety with deep red, glossy cherries and an inviting shine. Delivers a well-balanced sweetness with a subtle hint of richness that makes them hard to walk past.

Samba

Arriving mid-season, these large, dark red cherries have a smooth, lustrous skin and a full, sweet flavour with enough depth to make every bite feel indulgent.

Stella

A mid-season classic producing plump, heart-shaped cherries in a deep, glossy red. Rich and sweet with a juicy, satisfying flavour that has made it a long-time favourite.

Lapin

A mid to late-season standout with striking mahogany-red to near-black cherries and a beautiful deep gloss. The flesh is firm and wonderfully sweet, bold in both looks and flavour.

Sylvia

Ripening in the latter part of the season, Sylvia produces large, glossy cherries in a warm, deep red. Smooth and sweet with a gentle, mellow flavour that's consistently enjoyable.

Kootenay

A later-season variety with deep red, generously sized cherries and a firm, satisfying bite. The flavour is sweet and well-rounded, with a clean, fruity finish that helps extend the harvest beautifully.

Skeena

One of the late-season highlights, Skeena cherries are almost black when fully ripe, with a rich, glossy sheen that makes them stand out. Exceptionally sweet and firm, with a luxurious depth of flavour.

Sweetheart

Closing out the season, these bright red, heart-shaped cherries are as eye-catching as they are delicious. Remarkably sweet and juicy, they're a perfect, flavourful finale to the cherry season.

Join our team

Orchard work & employment opportunities

We're always looking for passionate, hardworking people to join our team. We focus on matching people to the work that suits them best, so both our team and our fruit can thrive.

We’re surrounded by long sunshine hours, clean rivers, fertile soils, and the landscapes of Abel Tasman National Park and Kahurangi National Park making this a great place to live!

Explore work opportunities at Thomas Bros Orchards.

Orchard Work