West Australian avocado growers Delroy Orchards have launched a new premium Hass avocado, which they say is better quality than other avocados thanks to where it’s grown and innovative supply chain technology and management eight years in the making.

Dubbed the ‘Delcado’, the premium grade Hass is grown at the Delroy Orchards in Pemberton, one hour east of Western Australia’s Margaret River. It is one of the only Australian-grown avocados in season from October to February - a time when imported avocados typically fill the shelves, most from New Zealand, and now Chile as well.

Driven by consumer demand for improved avocado quality, the Delroy family have spent eight years finetuning each part of their avocados’ journey through growing, quality checks, storage, ripening and supply chain so they can consistently give Australians a better avocado - a Delcado.

“We’ve put a lot of energy into controlling the quality of our Delcados. This starts on the tree where we test the fruit for its oil content to make sure it has a rich flavour before it’s picked,” said Robbie Delroy, Delroy Orchards Business Development Manager and son of orchard founders Russell and Jenny Delroy.

“We’re also now using near infrared technology, in addition to our blemish technology, to see inside the avocado to better detect any internal damage. The technology is already used by apple growers looking for bruises in their fruit, while it is early days for avocados, we’re excited about what it could mean for quality control and the avocado category in general.

“Another key investment has been making our supply chain as efficient and controlled as possible, so we can monitor and temperature control every step of the Delcados journey from orchard to store.”

The longer an avocado takes to get to store, the more time it has to deteriorate. The Delroys saw a clear opportunity to improve quality through supply chain efficiency and have invested heavily in R&D in partnership with Australian and international universities to improve best practice technology in both production and supply chain.

“Our Delcados will arrive at least two times faster to stores than imported avocados, meaning a Delcado you buy at the supermarket is potentially 12-15 days fresher,” said Mr Delroy. Robbie and his siblings Suzie and Kathryn all play an active role running the orchard.

The Delroys will be launching the Delcado this October and have worked with Reservoir Partners on a three-year strategic marketing program. It begins with a major integrated brand campaign launching with two commercials on television and digital channels, public relations and social media programs, out of home advertising, point of sale, and a media partnership with taste.com.au.

The campaign brings to life just what makes Delcado “a better avocado” from x-ray checks to provenance, and includes working with some of the country’s favourite chefs and cooks.

The Delroy family is so confident a Delcado is better quality than other avocados, they’ll also announce a money back guarantee for the fruit.

“We know a Delcado is a better avocado and we’ll stand by that. Our customers deserve the very best, and if a customer is not happy, we want to fix it, so we’re giving a money back guarantee,” said Mr Delroy. “You just need to return your Delcado to the shop where you bought it for another Delcado or a refund.”

Delcados will be available from October to February at Coles, Woolworths and ALDI supermarkets, Harris Farm Markets and all good fresh produce retailers in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

They retail at the same price as regular Hass and are easy to spot with a distinctive navy blue and gold Delcado sticker.