Meet the Kalette — our newest vegetable hybrid

The newest vegie on Australia’s chopping blocks is the Kalette — a cross between kale and brussels sprouts.

Following successful sales last year, South Australian grower Samwell & Sons has increased its planting of Kalettes by 600%.

Grown in the Adelaide Hills by the South Australian family business in collaboration with Fresh Select, they are currently available exclusively through Coles.

Samwell & Sons Managing Director Scott Samwell saw the Kalettes trend emerging around the globe and recognised the opportunity to introduce the tasty hybrid vegetable to the Australian market.

Kalettes were originally developed in the UK by Tozer Seeds, with the intention of creating a vegetable similar to kale that was versatile, easy to cook and visually appealing. The result is a fresh fusion of sweet and nutty flavours.

“Kalettes are the first new vegetable Australia has seen in over a decade and the response to their debut in Coles was unbelievable. In a single day we sold the entire volume of Kalettes we were hoping to sell in the first week, so this year we’ve planted six times more.

“For more than 50 years my family has been growing brussels sprouts in the Adelaide Hills and I wanted to bring something to the business that was different, and this definitely has added a new dimension to our business,” Scott said.

Kalettes can be sautéed, steamed, blanched, roasted or grilled, or eaten raw in salads and smoothies.