As Nelson’s boysenberry harvest concludes this summer, growers are enjoying a new sense of achievement.

Their region and fruit will be featured on 600,000 2-litre ice cream lids this year.

Fonterra subsidiary Tip Top Ice Cream has recognised New Zealand’s taste for boysenberries and the region that grows its fruit, by printing ‘Nelson Boysenberries’ on every lid of Boysenberry Ripple ice cream.

It’s the first time a region has featured on the lid of a 2-litre tub of Tip Top ice cream, and it signals greater acknowledgement by the company of its long-standing commitment to home-grown ingredients like fresh cream and fruit.

Boysenberry was found to be the nation’s second favourite ice cream flavour in a recent poll – second to time-honoured favourite hokey pokey. Sales figures show New Zealanders enjoyed 1,216,000 litres of Tip Top’s Boysenberry Ripple flavour in 2009.

Tip Top marketing manager Trish Whitwell says Boysenberry Ripple is a uniquely New Zealand flavour.

“Kiwis love the combination of smooth creamy ice cream and tangy boysenberries, and it responds to a growing craving the nation has for fruity ice cream.”

Barry Wratten’s Lower Moutere orchard grows 30 hectares of boysenberries, alongside big crops of apples, pears and maize on the family’s 101 hectare property.

He says 75% of his boysenberry harvest is exported, but the 25% that goes to Tip Top is an important mainstay, especially in the face of the strengthening New Zealand dollar. He welcomes the new recognition Tip Top is giving Nelson boysenberries on its ice cream lids.

“We are delighted to be one of the first regions to be recognised on Tip Top’s lids. It’s like a mini billboard at the kitchen bench or on the dessert table of New Zealand families, so it’s a valuable form of promotion for Nelson and for boysenberries,” he says.