Unsellable fruit given second chance as key ingredient in West Australian sour beer

Mitchell East and Jennifer Riseley process unsellable fruit, reducing fruit waste at a primary level.  (ABC South West: Georgia Hargreaves)

Two passionfruit farmers in Western Australia's south west are reducing food waste by purchasing otherwise unsellable fruit from local growers, with the puree being turned into beer.

The various fruit purees have been used to make different beers by several high-profile breweries in the region, including Eagle Bay Brewing, Funk Cider and Tall Timbers Manjimup.

It is commonplace for a percentage of fruit and vegetable crops to be deemed unsellable, either because the produce is undersized, blemished or too "ugly". 

Mitchell East and Jennifer Riseley grow passionfruit in Manjimup and recently built a fruit processing machine by gathering together old and unwanted equipment.

Mr East said since doing so, they had been able to use 100 per cent of their passionfruit crop. 

About 30 per cent of Mr East's passionfruit crop was previously classed as "unsellable".  (Supplied: Craig Kinder)

"Passionfruit is a product that breaks down very quickly," he said.

"But luckily enough for us, it means we can grade out our best quality [passionfruit] and sell that to the markets ... and the seconds or anything that we don't deem as as good a quality we can then process."

The couple said once their own processing system kicked off, they were approached by local breweries about what else would be possible.

Mr East says he's grateful for the opportunity to purchase the seconds fruit. (Supplied: Willara Gold)

They were able to buy more fruit seconds from nearby farmers, including figs, strawberries, plums and other stonefruit which they turned into a high-quality puree and onsold to various local breweries.

Ms Riseley said the response from other farmers had been very positive. 

Mr Fallons welcomed the idea of using seconds fruit in their sour beers.  (ABC South West: Georgia Hargreaves)

Tall Timbers managing director Ed Fallons said since the pandemic, the cost of importing syrups to use in sour beer products had skyrocketed, meaning sourcing locally was now a viable solution.

"And obviously [there's no] preservatives, no pasteurisation and plus it's much better quality fruit," he said.

"We're also finding we need to use quite a bit less.

Tall Timbers Manjimup received a Regional Economic Development grant from the WA Government, which was used to purchase additional beer tanks. (ABC South West: Georgia Hargreaves)

The final product

A team of brewers from Tall Timbers and Artisan Brewing have used queen garnet plums in their latest sour beer. 

Among the team of brewers was Florain Von Guttenberg, who said he had noticed sour beers becoming more popular.

There is an equivalent of one plum per can of sour beer, according to Mr Fallons.  (ABC South West: Georgia Hargreaves)

"I don't think they've peaked yet," Mr Von Guttenberg said.

"Traditionally, the impression has been that it's more of a summer beer, because they are very refreshing.

"I'm starting to notice that they're becoming a year-round thing."

Industry members say demand for sour beer is increasing.  (ABC South West: Georgia Hargreaves)

Mr East said what they really liked was that local farmers grew the fruit, and it was also a local brewery.

Innovation in seconds markets

Curtin University supply chain expert Dr Elizabeth Jackson said the majority of food waste in Australia did not occur at the primary production level.

"It's from our households, hospitality and sort of institutions that the other end of the supply chain where — sadly — about 51 per cent of our food waste and loss occurs in this country," she said.

Dr Jackson says consumers have unrealistic demands. (ABC South West: Kate Stephens)

"What we see in food supply chains so often is that there is plenty of waste, and plenty of things to do with that waste, but the problem is adding value to waste is just not economically viable.

"It's not only great innovation, but it's the right thing to do as well."