This blog was written by Citrus Industry Director and Chairman, Barry Landman.

Avocados became one of the defining foods of the Millennial generation. Could grapefruit have its own moment with Gen Z?

Over the past two decades, avocados have gone from everyday fresh produce to a global food phenomenon. Their rise wasn’t driven by taste or nutrition alone. Wellness trends, social media, brunch culture and aspirational lifestyles helped turn the humble avocado into something much bigger: a reflection of how a generation wanted to eat and live.

For fresh produce marketers, there’s an important lesson here. It isn’t that every fruit needs to become the next avocado. It’s that consumers increasingly choose foods that connect with their values and lifestyles – and those values continue to evolve.

Gen Z is Asking Different Questions

Millennials helped drive wellness culture, embracing healthy eating, organic products and highly shareable food experiences.

Gen Z shares many of those interests, but its priorities are broader. Sustainability, affordability, authenticity and ethical production increasingly sit alongside health and wellness when younger consumers make purchasing decisions. 

It means consumers are asking more than Is this good for me?

Where does it come from? How was it produced? Is it worth the money? And does buying it align with the way I want to live?

For fresh produce, simply communicating nutritional benefits is therefore no longer enough. The opportunity is to show how a product fits naturally into the lives, interests and values of the people buying it.

Giving Grapefruit a Fresh Perspective

Grapefruit has traditionally been associated with older generations, winter breakfasts and cold-and-flu remedies. But many of the qualities younger consumers value are already inherent in the fruit.

SummerStar Ruby grapefruit is versatile, affordable and nutrient-rich. It can be enjoyed in salads, smoothies and desserts or used to add a distinctive ruby twist to refreshing summer drinks. Its relatively long shelf life can also help households reduce food waste. 

This creates an opportunity to shift the conversation around grapefruit – from something associated with the past to something that fits naturally into contemporary summer lifestyles.

Showing Up Where Younger Consumers Discover Food

Food discovery has also changed.

Social media platforms and creators increasingly influence recipe inspiration, food trends and purchasing decisions. Fresh produce therefore has an opportunity to become part of the conversations and moments younger consumers are already engaging with online.

For SummerStar Ruby’s South African growers, this has meant positioning grapefruit within broader conversations around wellness, summer lifestyle and sustainability rather than focusing solely on the fruit itself. 

And there are encouraging signs.

During summer 2025, 67% of SummerStar Ruby’s Instagram followers and 98% of its TikTok followers were aged 18–34 – suggesting younger audiences are willing to engage with a category that has traditionally struggled to reach them. 

From Product to Culture

Changing perceptions doesn’t happen in one summer. The avocado didn’t become culturally relevant overnight either.

Building new associations around fresh produce requires sustained marketing that understands not only what consumers eat, but why they choose to eat it.

The avocado story ultimately wasn’t only about avocado. It was about a generation and the values it embraced.

Gen Z may be writing the next chapter – and for fresh produce brands willing to understand what matters to them, that presents an exciting opportunity.

Looking for a fresh way to enjoy grapefruit this summer? Explore more SummerStar Ruby recipes and inspiration on the blog.

About the Author 

This blog was written by Barry Landman, Director at CLB Beleggings, and Chairman of the Grapefruit Variety Focus Group, Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) of Southern Africa.