Walk through any supermarket produce section, and you’ll see rows of picture-perfect apples. Shiny, uniform, and blemish-free.
But here’s something most people don’t realise: for every apple that makes it onto those shelves, countless others are rejected simply because they don’t look “right.” They might be a bit wonky, have a small mark, or just be the wrong size. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with them nutritionally or taste-wise. They just don’t fit the mould.
At Upple, we believe those apples deserve better. And so does our planet.
The Reality of Food Waste in Australia
Food waste is a massive issue in Australia. Each year, Australians throw away around 7.6 million tonnes of food, and a significant portion of that waste happens before products even reach consumers. Fruit and vegetables are particularly affected, with perfectly good produce discarded simply because it doesn’t meet cosmetic standards.
For apple growers like our family, this is heartbreaking. You nurture trees through seasons, watch the fruit develop, and harvest with care. To see apples rejected because they’re a bit small or have a slight blemish feels like such a waste of good food, hard work, and precious resources.
A Family Solution, Three Generations in the Making
Our family has been growing apples in Queensland’s beautiful Granite Belt for three generations. We know these orchards like the back of our hands, and we know that an “ugly” apple tastes just as good as a pretty one. That knowledge sparked an idea: what if we could give these perfectly good apples a new purpose?
That’s how Upple was born. Instead of letting imperfect apples go to waste, we take whole, cored apples and crush them into a delicious drink. Not juice. Crushed apple. There’s an important difference.