MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA - The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) is building upon its current health and wellness campaign, Love One Today, with a newly developed foodservice marketing program and website.
This new foodservice movement is expected to raise awareness about the benefits of highlighting fresh avocados on restaurant menus. The campaign will include nutritional research education, innovative menu ideas, and will connect and inspire operators and professionals at a variety of industry events.
“We’re very excited about the launch of our foodservice program, which will work tirelessly to increase the presence of fresh avocados on menus in healthy, transformative ways,” says Executive Director of the Hass Avocado Board, Emiliano Escobedo in a press release.
In coordination with its commitment to healthier menu options, the board’s newly designed foodservice website was created to be a go-to platform for information regarding nutritional benefits, inspiring usages on menus, and highlighting chefs who are currently using this nutritious and versatile fresh avocado fruit in healthier dishes.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on providing professionals with the tools needed to ensure their customers are benefitting from the flavorful health benefits of fresh avocados, and the new website embodies that,” added Escobedo.
With hopes of better understanding the market, HAB conducted menu analysis, finding that two-thirds of surveyed professionals use avocados more now than two years ago, and more than half expect to increase their usage over the coming two years. Additionally, the company’s research discovered avocados most commonly used in entrees, but saw growth in appetizers.
To encourage this trend, HAB will establish relationships with chefs who, rather than contrasting the fruit as supplementary background flavor, are already highlighting avocados on the forefront of their healthy dishes. Executive Chef Justin Morrow of Canyon Ranch, for instance, emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables.
“We see avocados as part of a healthful, balanced way to eat. When we use avocados, we really try to emphasize the fruit itself – meaning that we don’t hide it behind a lot of other ingredients,” said Chef Morrow. “For example, we’ll top a black bean bowl with an avocado mash that just has a little bit of lime, onion, salt and pepper to enhance the natural flavor.”
The HAB hopes that Adding to the Love One Today campaign will help to vitalize its foodservice program and further its health and wellness mission, ultimately leading to the growth of avocados as a nutrition menu item.
