LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA - Mushrooms for breakfast? While it’s not common here in North America, Highline Mushrooms wants to change that, creating more eating opportunities for the category and a potential to boost sales for retailers. To do so, the supplier is starting by bringing its full organic lineup to this year’s International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Global Produce & Floral Show and showcasing its clear tills that give shoppers a full view of product quality.
“Along with our organic mushrooms, there’s one new product that we will be showcasing: a white flat mushroom,” Devon Kennedy, National Marketing Manager, relays. “They are quite common in Australia and the U.K. They are similar to Portobella mushrooms but are large white mushrooms. We will showcase these, introducing the concept to North Americans. They are often cooked for breakfast, and we have a few people at our company from Europe who eat them daily for breakfast.”
Chief Executive Officer Jose Cambon, an Australian native, attests to the popularity of the white flat mushroom in his home country and beyond. There, the variety holds a sizeable market share, which Highline hopes to replicate across North America.
“In Australia, white flat mushrooms hold 15 to 20 percent of the mushroom market, and it goes with the fact that mushrooms can be eaten at breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” explains Jose. “Their versatility is what makes them so good.”
Adding to the versatility, these unique mushrooms play well into shoppers' different diets and nutritional needs. Whether low- to no-carb diets, gluten-free needs, or more, white flat mushrooms can be used instead of toast or bread in the morning, adding nutrients to any meal. This also provides an excellent opportunity for retailers to cross-merchandise the mushrooms with traditional breakfast foods for a fresh-forward twist on the proclaimed “most important meal of the day.”
Another concept that Highline is transitioning from Europe and Australia to North America is clear tills for its mushrooms. While clear plastic clamshells might be standard for other categories, the same cannot be said for mushrooms. However, Highline believes that its packaging will offer its customers and their shoppers the desired transparency and sustainability.
“The two key drivers are sustainability and providing our retail partners with a highly recyclable clear PET till that will be recycled in the recycling chain. From a consumer perspective, it's being able to see a product, which is a revelation,” shares Jose. “By enabling consumers to see the product from the sides and the back, our retail customers can use the front for branding and sharing messages, be that with the Highline brand or their own brand.”
And this is just one part of the company’s commitment to sustainability. The growing cycle at Highline has little to no waste, and its mushrooms use less than 15 liters of water per kilo.
To learn more about how Highline drives sustainability and the mushroom category, make booth #2850 a stop on your show floor route. I’ve heard there might even be some delicious mushrooms cooking up for you.
