Historic Hawke's Bay orchard on the market

The Pernel Orchard property includes a number of buildings including a fruit shop, café and gift shop.

Pernel Orchard, a nationally known Hawke's Bay property, is on the market for the first time in more than 100 years.

The unencumbered freehold land and buildings at 1412 Pakowhai Rd, Tomoana, on the outskirts of Hastings is to be sold by auction, at 11am on Thursday, July 21.

Colliers Rural and Agribusiness horticultural specialist Louise Wake describes a rare opportunity for an owner-operator or investor to purchase the 15.39ha property planted in pipfruit and stonefruit, which also has extensive infrastructure.

Situated in a highly visible location and main thoroughfare on Pakowhai and Evenden Roads on the outskirts of Hastings, the property sits in three titles, 3.97ha, 2.91ha and 8.5ha.

The address is 1412 Pakowhai Rd.

The orchard plantings are mixed-age and cover an extensive range of fruit varieties supplying export and domestic markets, Wake says.

Given the high-profile location, the property offers a multitude of options and has the potential for multiple income streams. It includes a working packhouse as a domestic market facility to handle both pip and stone fruit with a 400-bin cool store adding further onsite flexibility.

It also boasts a cafe, fruit shop with coolstore, an accommodation unit, workshop and adjacent sheds and two four-bedroom homes built in the 1960s.

An aerial view encompassing Pernel Orchard which is prominently located on Pakowhai and Evenden Roads, on the outskirts of Hastings.

"The purpose-built fruit shop offers an ideal retail outlet and is adjacent to the popular operating cafe that offers substantial indoor and outdoor dining and constant foot traffic.

The current owners have also tapped into tourism ventures, running orchard tours for local, domestic and worldwide customers, including cruise liner and school groups.

They are year-round purveyors at the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market.

"There are no leases in place on any of the infrastructure - allowing the incoming purchaser scope to run the property to suit," Wake says.

There's the option to buy the property and on-sell the infrastructure, to retain the property as is and put leases in place.

"Alternatively the buyer could to run the whole venture as an owner/operator. This is prime horticulture in a profile location on the outskirts of Hastings, with excellent opportunity for multiple income streams.

"We expect to see a lot of interest," says Wake.