Bloom Fresh's Abril blueberry wins the Superior Taste Award

Bloom Fresh, a global leader in premium fruit breeding, is proud to announce that its proprietary blueberry variety Abril has been awarded 2 Stars at the 2026 Superior Taste Award. The distinction recognizes Abril as a product with superior taste that stands out in its category, based on rigorous blind sensory evaluation by an independent international jury of chefs and sommeliers organized by the International Taste Institute.

The Superior Taste Award is one of the most respected sensory certifications in the food industry. In 2026, nearly 3,000 products from around the world were evaluated by more than 250 culinary experts through a structured blind tasting process that assessed first impression, appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and final sensation.

For Bloom Fresh, the recognition represents more than an award for a single variety. It provides independent validation of the company's broader vision for the future of blueberries: a category in which flavor, consistency, and consumer satisfaction become key drivers of value creation across the entire supply chain.

Abril: Differentiation through flavor

As global blueberry production continues to expand, the industry faces increasing pressure to differentiate beyond volume and availability.

Bloom Fresh believes premium proprietary varieties such as Abril will play an increasingly important role in helping growers, marketers, and retailers create distinction, build consumer loyalty, and drive sustainable category growth through superior eating experiences.

“At Bloom Fresh, we believe taste is the most powerful driver of consumer satisfaction and repeat purchase,” said Josep Estiarte, CEO of Bloom Fresh. “This recognition validates something we have believed for a long time: consumers ultimately come back for products they genuinely enjoy eating.”

Abril is part of Bloom Fresh’s growing portfolio of premium proprietary blueberry varieties developed through natural breeding. Created to meet the evolving expectations of consumers seeking a superior blueberry experience, Abril combines attractive appearance, excellent texture, sweetness and flavor with the consistency required to support premium positioning in the marketplace.

The recognition also supports Bloom Fresh’s broader strategy of strengthening the visibility and value of its global blueberry breeding program.

“From the beginning, the goal with Abril was to create a premium blueberry variety that consumers would genuinely remember and seek out again," said Pio Rosell, blueberry breeder at Bloom Fresh. "Taste has always been at the heart of our selection process, alongside agronomic performance and fruit quality. Receiving this recognition from such an experienced international jury is especially rewarding because it validates years of breeding work focused on delivering a truly exceptional eating experience.”

Bloom Fresh is expanding Abril's global footprint

Abril's commercial momentum continues to accelerate. Exports of Abril fruit from Peru increased from more than 1,300 tonnes during the 2024–25 season to over 5,400 tonnes in 2025–26, reflecting growing confidence in the variety among growers, marketers and retailers, and demonstrating its potential to create value through both exceptional eating quality and increasing market adoption.

As part of the award, Bloom Fresh and its licensed partners will be able to use the Superior Taste Award certification and quality label in relation to Abril fruit that meets the program's defined quality requirements. The certification may be used over the next three years to support commercial and marketing activities and reinforce the premium positioning of the variety.

*All images courtesy of Bloom Fresh. 

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