They’re tiny, red and oval shaped – but don’t be mistaken, Pure Flavor’s® new Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes are not like any other snacking tomato in the fresh produce aisle. 

The new brand from Pure Flavor® is a unique variety exclusive in North America to the Leamington-based greenhouse grower. Its hallmarks are a delicious fruity flavor, vibrant burgundy hue, and perfectly balanced sweetness, some say it’s a tiny taste of heaven™. 

What truly sets Cloud 9® Tomatoes apart is how they are carefully grown, nurtured and selected to bring out the best of the variety. Pure Flavor®’s team of growers hand-select each tomato, evaluating them for specific markers of quality. Only the best in each batch make it into consumer’s shopping carts. Chris Veillon, Chief Marketing Officer at Pure Flavor®, says the growing process for Cloud 9® has been refined to ensure the premium qualities of the variety shine through in every bite and every pack. 

“When you first taste a Cloud 9® Tomato, you know right away there’s something special – that eye-opening sweetness you dream of,” said Veillon. Grown in climate controlled greenhouses, the new Cloud 9® Tomato is going to be a game changer. “We’ve worked hard with our Research & Development Team as well as our family of growers to make sure every single Cloud 9® Tomato has that bite-sized blast of fruity flavor that consumers will come to expect of this premium brand. And to go a step further, we are going beyond the package to ensure consumers understand the value proposition of a product like this which is to be more than just a salad topper. Cloud 9® Tomatoes are an experience all on their own to say the least,” commented Veillon. 

According to Veillon, that process starts with sustainable, state-of-the-art greenhouse growing practices, which allow Pure Flavor® to control the climate, irrigation, lighting and plant nutrition. This precise control of the growing environment is necessary for each plant to thrive and reach its full potential. From there, Pure Flavor® has taken the process a step further by putting in place a precise selection criteria. 

“We’ve set the highest standards for Cloud 9® to make sure consumers get the sweetness they crave and the quality they deserve,” said Veillon. “We call it the Cloud 9® Standard and it’s really a testament to our family of growers that we’re able to achieve that high standard so consistently.” Pure Flavor®’s growers are trained to identify which tomatoes have reached peak freshness before picking. That process isn’t quite as simple as it might sound – there are very specific criteria that must be met. 

“Every Cloud 9® pack that reaches kitchen tables across America will be full of bitesized fruity tomatoes of the highest quality,” said Veillon.  

Once the tomatoes are picked, Pure Flavor®’s innovative automation systems ensure they’re packed safely and efficiently to be transported to retailers across the country. Available at launch in Dry Pint resealable packs that use 25% less plastic, ecoconscious consumers can snack all day with peace of mind. 

The launch of a sweeter snacking tomato comes at a time when consumers are looking to enjoy a wider variety of healthy foods to eat at home. Cloud 9® offers consumers a healthy new snack option that Pure Flavor® says will “make life’s sweetest moments even sweeter” – figuratively and, of course, quite literally. 

During the greenhouse vegetable company’s ‘Love For Fresh’ campaign in the Fall 2020 to promote healthy living & fresh vegetable consumption, Pure Flavor® polled more than 14,000 people through a variety of surveys that were promoted across the brands social channels. In one survey focused exclusively on snacking habits, more than 600 people took part sharing that 40% snack because they crave something sweet and 70% are either very likely or somewhat likely to snack on tomatoes.  

The Love For Fresh surveys also showed that nearly 70% of consumers are cooking five or more meals per week at home. That being said, Pure Flavor® has been busy in its Recipe Development Kitchen creating sweet & savory dishes that showcase the very particular qualities of this hand-picked, premium ingredient. The unique, fruity flavor of Cloud 9® Tomatoes lends themselves to a variety of recipes across different styles and more importantly, cuisines. With recipes like Butternut Squash Pizzas, Tomato Panzanella, and many more, Pure Flavor® is inspiring consumers to make each homecooked meal a showstopper. 

To truly understand what Cloud 9® Tomatoes offer – as a snack or in a gourmet dish – it’s better to taste them yourself. 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Pure Flavor® began public taste trials to see what the average consumer thought about a new, fruity snacking tomato. 83% of people surveyed described Cloud 9® Tomatoes as sweet, rich or balanced. As a part of that trial, Pure Flavor® also brought samples to elementary school classrooms for kids to taste. If the wide eyes and big smiles are any indication, there’s no question that Cloud 9® Tomatoes are kid-approved. 

Veillon says the feedback so far has been incredibly positive and the Pure Flavor® team is looking forward to giving retailers & consumers their first chance to experience “a tiny taste of heaven™.” 

“Our R&D Team has been developing this new product for the last 2 years through extensive trials in different growing regions. To have people of all ages respond so well to our trials makes us very proud and look forward to distributing this new brand of bite sized fruity tomatoes throughout North America starting this winter,” said Veillon. 

To learn more about Pure Flavor® and the new Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes, visit www.pure-flavor.com/Cloud9.