A sushi chain's success looks set to benefit the New Zealand avocado industry, too. St Pierre's Sushi, which opened a branch at Fraser Cove in Tauranga in December, was expected to use about one million avocados this year, said director Nick Katsoulis. "We pride ourselves on the freshness and quality of ouringredients, so don't use frozen imported avocado," he said. Sourcing sufficient fresh fruit year-round, especially in years when the New Zealand crop was small, had not been easy, but Nick said the company was committed to its policy of using fresh fruit. John Schnackenberg, chairman of the Avocado Industry Council, said although growers' main focus was always to produce export-quality fruit, the food service sector remained important to their business. - Read more in today's Bay of Plenty Times
