Pure Flavor Unveils Greenhouse-Grown Personal-Sized Solara Melons

Leading greenhouse company Pure Flavor has launched the first greenhouse-grown melons, which will be branded under the Solara name.

“After many years of research and development, we are excited to bring the first commercially available greenhouse-grown melons to market,” said Jamie Moracci, President.

While many varieties had been put through rigorous product testing since the development process began in 2014, the company has homed in on an exclusive variety that is scalable production-wise and checks all the boxes to meet product, brand, retail, foodservice and consumer expectations. Partnering with Cornell University during the product development process, Pure Flavor’s R&D team was able to gain valuable insights on both product and plant health to help maximize yield and flavor.

“Our product trials told us a great deal; we knew that it had to be something special that we could scale commercially to meet the demand. After eight years, we have launched a unique product that our customers are excited about and will breathe new life into the category,” said Moracci.

Mildly cool, sweet and juicy, Solara’s are the first personal-sized, sustainably grown melons from greenhouses that use just the right amount of light, nutrition and water to deliver the same sweet tastefully tropical flavor, regardless of the season.

“It’s paradise in the palm of your hand! Roughly 500 g in size, the sweetness and personal size of the Solara Melon make it a great partner with foods like prosciutto, shrimp, basil, mint, pistachios, we are even using the melon as a yogurt and granola snack, the product pairings are endless,” said Matt Mastronardi, Executive Vice-President.

The new personal-sized melons are available in both single and multi-pack formats. “The consumer-centric brand strategy is simple: it’s the one sitting snack, meal, appetizer, post-workout rehydration. It’s for me and only me. Fits in the palm of my hand. Up close and personal – yes, the perfect size, just for me. It’s the ME melon!” said Chris Veillon, Chief Marketing Officer.

Like other products in the Pure Flavor snacking line, the Solara personal-sized melon product launch will be supported with digital content that includes a wide variety of recipes and a detailed ‘goes well with’ feature. “The strategic investment in R&D is done to help grow the industry and help increase fresh produce consumption,” said Moracci. “We are working on more melon varieties and look forward to rolling them out shortly.”