How Premier Fresh became a Premier Partner
When Premier Fresh Australia was named Woolworths Overall Trade Partner of the Year for 2025, it was more than a reward for strong performance.
Being awarded the top gong was an acknowledgment of an evolving, decades-long partnership built on shared resilience, strategic foresight, and the courage to persevere in the face of the varying challenges of the (fresh produce) growing game.
Sitting down with Premier Fresh Group Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Di Pietro, we delve into a journey spanning over 80 years. From a family farm on the Murray River to a vertically integrated national giant, Di Pietro’s insights offer a blueprint for our entire supplier ecosystem on how consistency, integrity, innovation and trust become the non-negotiable foundation of an enduring and fruitful relationship.
Anthony Di Pietro
Premier Fresh Group Chief Executive Officer
Anthony Di Pietro looks back at the humble beginnings of Premier Fresh, and chuckles to himself, “We use drones, backed by AI technology, flying around our crops and instantly identifying which areas need more or less water, more or less fertiliser… we’re more efficient than we’ve ever been.”
When the business started in Mildura in the 1940’s, that sort of technology was the stuff of dreams. But innovation has always been front of mind for the Di Pietro family; Premier Fresh was one of the early pioneers of protected cropping, and that desire to be at the forefront of cutting-edge horticultural evolution has helped them become one of the largest fresh produce suppliers in the country. Their Lancaster Farms site is home to Australia’s first five-hectare retractable roof hydroponic gourmet tomato greenhouse, and the results speak for themselves.
“We used to have 250 acres of outdoor tomatoes growing in that region, now we have 12-and-a-half acres growing in a greenhouse. We used to produce six to seven kilos of tomatoes per square metre and used around 120 litres of water per kilo. Now, we produce 50 to 55 kilos per square metre, and use 50 litres of water per kilo. The technology leaps in our industry are incredible!”
While the scale and capabilities of their operation have grown exponentially, Di Pietro stresses that the core purpose of the business has remained intact, “We are about connecting Australian growers with customers through trusted partnerships built on quality, consistency and integrity.”
Even with a business of their size, Di Pietro says adaptability reigns supreme, “Each chapter of our history has required us to adapt, and that willingness to evolve has been central to our longevity. Our journey has been shaped by people prepared to learn, innovate and invest in the future.”
Not every chapter has been easy. When accepting the award for Overall Trade Partner of the Year, Di Pietro was quick to point out it’s not always smooth sailing in the sometimes volatile world of produce. “We’ve had a partnership with Woolworths for many, many years, and it’s been up and down. Some challenges were due to conditions, some were self-inflicted, but we made our way back and the people at Woolworths that have believed in us along the journey and trusted us to deliver? We cannot be more thankful for that.”
He later added, “This year alone we had flooding as a result of a cyclone in the north of Australia, where we grow our bananas, and at the same time fires down here in Victoria, meaning we had all sorts of struggles, including transporting our tomatoes and bananas due to road closures. But you never really know how good a relationship is until you face challenges. It’s great to turn up and have plans and do your best, but when we come across challenges, we lean into them. You’ve got to look them in the eye, and work out what the learnings are for future seasons.”
It helps Premier Fresh and Woolworths align strategically. Described by Louis Eggar, Woolworths Director of Fresh, as ‘a partner that demonstrates the value of a strategic partnership in the Fruit & Vegetable category, and whose alignment with our F26 strategy helps us deliver better outcomes for our customers’, the two business’ desire to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes is key to the strength and success of their relationship. Di Pietro explains;
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By working closely with Woolworths to plan ahead, share informed insights and make considered decisions, we ensure immediate supply needs are met without compromising the future. It helps that in Woolworths we have a partner who is prepared to engage openly, provide constructive challenges and work through complexity together. It ensures the ‘Best of Australian Fresh’ is something growers actively own, not just supply into.”
Warwick Hope, Woolworths Head of Strategic Sourcing for Fruit and Veg, agrees that this evolution has been key to their shared success:
“Premier Fresh is a great example of what a truly strategic partnership looks like. Over their 50-year history with Woolworths, they have evolved from a traditional supplier into a partner that is deeply aligned with our long-term goals.
Whether it’s investing in new farm technology or finding ways to keep shelves full during tough seasons, they consistently show up for our customers. They’ve earned this recognition by being transparent, reliable, and always looking for a better way to move the industry forward.”
For Trade Partners seeking to elevate their relationship with Woolworths, Di Pietro says it comes down to trust. “At its core, trust is built through consistency of behaviour and intent,” he affirms. “This means showing up daily with honesty, accountability, and open communication, and crucially, taking ownership when things don’t go to plan. Di Pietro believes “Strong partnerships aren’t declared; but earned over time through consistent actions. Equally important is how people are treated, particularly under pressure. When growers, team members and partners know they are genuinely respected and supported, not just when things are going well, decisions land differently.”
Di Pietro feels a particular, deep sense of joy when reflecting on how the Premier team supports Australian growers, in addition to their own farming operations helping them invest in their farms and see their product enjoyed by millions. “No matter how complex the supply chain becomes, it always comes back to people growing, delivering fresh food and people eating it (that idea of farm to fork). That connection creates pride, responsibility and a strong sense of purpose for everyone involved.”
So what’s next for the Overall Trade Partner of the Year? Well, for Di Pietro and Premier Fresh, there’s certainly no complacency. “The younger generation are so health-conscious and quality focused; they want healthier, better produce, and they’re finding ways to make that happen. When we talk about our tomatoes, our capsicums, our bananas… they’re healthier than they’ve ever been and our farming practices continue to improve. It’s really exciting. We’re looking ahead at the next five, even ten years, and putting some plans in place that should result in certainty for our partners, our growers and suppliers. And there’ll be more announcements on that soon!”
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