Peppadew USA, the U.S. arm of the South Africa-based developer of a specialty pepper known as Peppadew, is seeing an upward trend in the local production of Goldew, a sweet, tangy version of the pepper.

Pierre Crawley, managing director of Peppadew USA, based in Morganville, NJ, grows Goldew in the Garden State and has enlisted F&S Produce Co. in Rosenhayn, NJ, as a growing and distribution partner to help ramp up volume and sales.

“We started out strong with our initial growing experiences, and have gotten a better handle on the growing, transportation and distribution of Goldew,” said Crawley. “We are excited to be working with F&S to get to the next level.”

Crawley said F&S, a leading supplier of fresh-cut and individually quick frozen produce, as well as prepared refrigerated foods, offers more options for Goldew and instantly expands the product’s reach.

“With F&S, we will be able to offer Goldew in the fresh, fresh-cut, brined and IQF formats,” said Crawley. “Also, we will be working with their sales and distribution network. Basically, it gives us more ways to sell Goldew and we can now reach large ingredient manufacturers and chain restaurants.”

Crawley said having two production regions in the Garden State gives Goldew a strong foothold as a locally grown product.

“We are part of the Jersey Fresh program, but with farms in Morganville and Rosenhayn, we can take locally grown to another level,” said Crawley. “Locally grown can mean different things to different people, and it’s fair to say we have the state covered.”

Local produce is still very much a trend in the industry, and New Jersey has the oldest state promotion program in Jersey Fresh. Crawley said Goldew fits well with the program, as its two-month window from mid-August to mid-October capitalizes on the tail end of the summer season.

“Goldew has a 90-day growing cycle,” he said May 20. “So we just planted yesterday for a crop that will be harvested in August.”

He said one of the stronger supporters of Goldew is the Wakefern/Shop Rite chain, which carries the product in season. Other retailers have shown interest and talks are under way on supply deals, though he said it was premature to give details.

Goldew is shipped fresh in 13-pound cartons or brined in a 10-pound pail designed for use on an olive bar or deli. It can also be repacked into small cups and marketed in a retail produce department.

He said educating consumers is key to increasing sales, and each box of Goldew includes point-of-sales materials, including “Core and Roast” signage, to offer usage ideas.

Crawley also said he is looking for other growing partners throughout the country to help expand Goldew’s network. Ideally, he envisions Goldew to have year-round availability throughout the country.

“We have high expectations for this product,” he said.

In future partners, Crawley said he is looking for people, large or small, who have an entrepreneurial spirit who are not afraid of trying something new and who bring their own contacts and connections.