WATSONVILLE, CA - Flavor is everything at Driscoll’s. And that is more than just a vision, but a commitment as well. What allows the team to make that essential commitment to the berry category is its deep dedication to cultivating the land on which it grows as well as its devotion to developing some of the best varieties across the industry. While retail has always been a huge part of the market share for Driscoll’s, foodservice is gaining ground, as we will witness at this year’s PMA Foodservice event.
“Here at Driscoll’s, we have begun to develop unique varieties that respond to the need for a premium berry experience among today’s shoppers. Take the recent release of our Limited Edition Rosé Berries™ in both strawberry and raspberry offerings,” Randy Benko, Director of Foodservice, shares with me. “We have also generated excitement around our other items like our Limited Edition Sweetest Batch™, which is a collection of high-flavor strawberries and raspberries that inspires memorable moments of sweet indulgence.”
For the Rosé berry selection, you can truly Rosé-all-day and bring a beautiful light-pink hue to the table cultivated from the non-GMO breeding methods used by Driscoll’s Joy Makers—a team of agronomists, breeders, sensory analysts, plant health scientists, and entomologists who research and develop proprietary varieties. The flavors are sweet, unique, and buzz-worthy across the board.
“In the foodservice world, flavor is so important when delighting shoppers and diners,” Randy adds. “The arena presents a huge opportunity for us to continue to grow. Knowing that there are so many more consumption moments out there is a great thing and is one of the highlights we are noticing when we look at consumer behavior. Some of the data we have gathered tells us that kids are eating a lot more frequently throughout the day—not just breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Berries present such a great way to entice and excite the shopper or diner whether it is as a snack, an ingredient, or an inspiring piece of fresh fruit that the chef can build a dish or drink around—we have tapped into a win-win for both retail and foodservice.”
I know I have got PMA Foodservice booth #218 on my radar. The bigger question is: Do you?
