Local grower and owner of Alchemy Gisborne, Jason Galloway, identified an opportunity to unlock value from second-grade finger limes by extracting the fruit’s highly sought-after pearls, known as ‘citrus caviar.’
With growing demand from food and beverage markets, Jason needed a commercially viable way to extract the pearls without damaging them, prompting him to access support from the Trust’s business growth team.
The Trust first connected Jason with scientists and engineers at Callaghan Innovation to explore possible solutions. When they confirmed there was no existing technology to automate the process, the Trust helped Jason secure research and development (R&D) funding through the Bio‑Resource Processing Alliance (BPA).
The funding enabled Callaghan Innovation’s food technologists and process automation experts to develop a prototype machine capable of extracting the pearls without damaging them.
Alchemy Gisborne became one of 10 businesses supported through the Trust’s Food Innovation project. The project connected Jason with Smartmouth Consultants, who supported his business with product development, commercialisation, regulatory requirements and business planning, helping turn a technical innovation into a viable commercial opportunity.
The research also uncovered opportunities well beyond fresh citrus caviar, including freeze‑dried pearls, peel powders and citrus extracts, significantly expanding the business’s commercial potential.
While the project highlighted common challenges for local agriculture businesses, including development costs and access to specialist facilities, Alchemy Gisborne overcame these barriers through targeted technical support and R&D funding.
With rising domestic and international demand for finger lime products, particularly citrus caviar, Alchemy Gisborne is now well‑positioned to explore new markets and value‑added products.
By helping businesses turn innovation into commercial opportunities, the Food Innovation Project is supporting a more resilient, higher‑value food and fibre sector for the region.
