Our Berries
At Piopio Berry Orchard, we grow a beautiful variety of berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries - each bursting with flavour and freshness. Our mix of berry varieties means there’s always something delicious in season, with fruit ready to enjoy from late October right through to April.
From the first sweet strawberries of spring to the rich, juicy blackberries of late summer, every berry is grown with care right here on our family orchard.
Check out more about our responsible growing methods here.
Strawberries
Every winter, using the superior strawberry varieties of Albion and Monterey, we carefully replant our strawberry plants, ensuring each new season begins with strong, healthy young plants ready to produce the sweetest berries possible. This yearly cycle keeps our crops vigorous and helps maintain the high quality and flavour that Piopio Berry Orchard is known for.
To make the most of our growing conditions, we have utilised modern tunnel houses to grow our strawberries. These covered structures protect the plants from heavy rain and harsh weather, allowing for more consistent growing conditions. This produces plump, juicy strawberries that stay cleaner, ripen more evenly, and taste just as good in autumn as they do in summer. Our tunnel houses also help us extend the strawberry season right through until late April, long after most outdoor crops have finished.
Here in Piopio, our strawberry season runs from late October to late April, bringing months of fresh, sun-ripened sweetness straight from our patch to your table.
Nutrition
It’s hard to believe that something as delicious as a strawberry can also be so good for you! Packed with natural goodness, strawberries are a great source of folate and potassium, and an excellent source of dietary fibre, vitamin C, and manganese. They’re low in calories, rich in antioxidants, and bursting with flavour - the perfect combination of healthy and delicious.
Whether you enjoy them fresh, blended into a real fruit ice cream, or baked into your favourite dessert, Piopio strawberries are a true taste of summer - sweet, wholesome, and full of vitality.
Blueberries
We grow a range of blueberry varieties here at Piopio Berry Orchard, allowing us to harvest continuously from December through to April. Blueberries absolutely thrive in Piopio’s regular rainfall, cool winters, and warm summer days - the perfect mix for producing plump, juicy berries bursting with natural sweetness and flavour.
Our long season means there’s always fresh fruit available, with early, mid, and late varieties ripening one after another. Careful management, healthy soil, and sustainable growing practices ensure our blueberry plants stay strong, productive, and full of life year after year.
Nutrition
Blueberries are nature’s antioxidant powerhouse, containing higher antioxidant levels than almost any other fruit or vegetable. Antioxidants help protect the body’s cells from everyday wear and tear and are believed to reduce the risk of certain health problems such as cancers and heart disease.
Often referred to as “brain berries,” blueberries have been linked to improved brain function, eyesight, and urinary tract health. Some studies even suggest that eating half a cup of blueberries a day can help protect the brain and promote healthy cognitive function. Recent research has also shown that blueberries may assist in stabilising blood sugar levels, making them a smart, wholesome choice for everyone - especially diabetics.
Raspberries
Our raspberry types are both the Old Fashioned Summer and the Autumn varieties - which allow us to harvest delicious fruit from December through to April. Raspberries are one of the more delicate berries to grow and handle, which is why they can be hard to find fresh. They’re sensitive to heat, require careful management, and have a naturally short shelf life, so we take extra care to make sure every berry reaches you in perfect condition.
To ensure our customers always get the freshest raspberries possible, we pick them daily, and anything left at the end of the day goes straight into the freezer to lock in their flavour and goodness. Raspberries thrive in cold winters and dislike dry summers, so to keep them healthy, we hand-weed around our plants and give them plenty of attention throughout the growing season.
Nutrition
Raspberries are packed with dietary fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidants that support immune health and overall wellbeing. They’re low in calories, naturally sweet, and bursting with flavour - making them the perfect combination of wholesome and indulgent. Enjoy them fresh, frozen, or folded into your favourite dessert - they’re a true taste of summer sunshine.
Blackberries
Our newest addition to the berry family are our blackberries and have become one of the most popular berries we grow - loved both fresh and frozen for their bold, juicy flavour. They’re harvested from December through to mid-February, making them one of the highlights of early summer here at Piopio Berry Orchard.
Blackberries thrive in regular rainfall, rich soil, and long summer days, all of which Piopio provides in abundance. These conditions help produce plump, glossy berries with that perfect balance of sweetness and tang. They’re best enjoyed fresh, but will keep well for 2–3 days in the fridge - if you can resist eating them sooner!
Nutrition
Blackberries are naturally rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, and fibre, and are packed with powerful antioxidants that help support a healthy immune system. They’re low in calories, full of flavour, and a delicious way to enjoy the taste - and goodness - of summer.
Visiting us
We would love to see you at the Orchard.
We are open daily 9.00am to 6.00pm from Labour Weekend, until April.
Not only is our store packed full of delicious berries, we also sell berry ice creams, coffee, berry smoothies, jam and homemade berry muffins.
With berry ice cream for the kids, coffee for the grown-ups, plenty of parking and grass for the dogs - Piopio Berry Orchard is the perfect place for a pit stop.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Opening Hours
From late October to late April
Every day from 9.00am to 6.00pm
Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday
Berry Availability
WEATHER DEPENDANT
Strawberries: October to April
Blueberries: December to April
Raspberries: December to April
Blackberries: December to April
Frozen berries are available all year round. Click here or call 07 877 8490 to organise a pick up for your berry fix during the winter.
Orders
After berries for a special occasion or Christmas Day?
Call or email us to place an order
07 877 8490 or shop@piopioberries.co.nz
Please note, delivery is not available, all orders must be picked up from the orchard.