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Louise Arnold from in Wodonga (Victoria) is as close to Australian ‘fruit shop royalty’ as it gets. That’s because Louise is a fourth-generation Arnold and a member of a family that’s been in the Aussie fruit game for over 132 years.
“We’re the oldest continual family fruit business in Australia,” Louise Arnold tells SBS. “We’ve maintained the same family line from the start to now.”
The Arnold family fruit story began when Louise’s German great-grandfather started selling produce out of a wheelbarrow around the streets of Albury in 1882.
Today, Arnold's is a major distributor and seller of fruit and vegetables in the Albury Wodonga region (NSW/VIC).
Last year, the retail arm of the business – Arnold’s Fruit Market – was also named as Australia’s favourite fruit shop through a .
Over the years, the business has survived through two pandemics: COVID-19 and the Spanish flu of 1919. Generations of Arnolds have seen fruit trends at restaurants rise and fall (we’re looking at you peach Melba). The family has also provided local Greek, Italian and Chinese farmers with a pathway to sell their fruit and observed how changes in migration have impacted demands for multicultural fruit varieties.
“We've got people from so many wonderful cultures that are now living in our region. That’s influenced the fruit we have available from dragon fruit to green mangoes.”
Multi-generational fruit wisdom
Ever passionate about fruit, Louise wants people to eat quality pieces of fruit that taste delicious.
Tapping into years of generational fruit wisdom, Louise offers shoppers a top tip: “A fruit shop owner will usually put fruit on special if it’s in abundance”.
“For example, if strawberries are on special it’s because they are in abundance. They are very delicate and won’t last a week so you should eat them now. Customers need to understand that those strawberries may not be on special next week because they may not be in abundance then.”
She adds that, traditionally, customers have always been advised to buy the locally grown fruit that’s in season. While this tip is factually correct, climate change has been affecting the length and intensity of our seasons.
"Customers need to understand that those strawberries may not be on special next week because they may not be in abundance then.”
“The seasons used to be cut-and-dry but that’s no longer the case. For example, if Queensland has had a lot of rain, that will affect the quality, availability and taste of locally grown fruit. So always consider the season and recent weather patterns when you’re choosing fruit.”
Finally, Arnold says, when you’re fruit shopping, think about how the drive home will affect the produce. “A cut watermelon is nice but it’s also very delicate. If you want a watermelon to last longer and be transportable, buy a whole watermelon.”
If you’re ever in doubt about what fruit to buy, try visiting a family-run fruit business like Arnold's. "At our store, you can talk to a person who spoke to the farmer who grew the fruit you’re interested in. We have a connection with the food and where it comes from.
“The greater the connection you feel to the fruit you’re about to eat, the better it will taste.”
