LOS ALAMITOS, CA - I could put coconut in anything and everything. With its versatile texture and sweet flavor, I just cannot get enough—as long as I don’t have to crack the fruit myself. Last week, Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrated the first shipment of young coconuts from its new grower partner in Thailand with some friendly competition. Throwing its first-ever young coconut opening challenge on Thursday, April 19, 2018, Frieda’s sales, marketing, and sourcing teams showed off their chops and raced to crack open coconuts.
In a bracket-style tournament, Frieda’s team members competed to open the young coconuts, using any tools of their choice from knives to a special coconut opening tool. But, for the finals, only knives were allowed.
Only one could win, and this year, Allen Demo, Director of Procurement and Sourcing, shocked the crowd when he opened the coconut in eight seconds with a single blow of a chef’s knife, nabbing the first-place spot.
“Allen has just returned from Thailand after a visit with our grower partner and touring the coconut groves, so I’m sure they taught him a few tricks,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, Assistant Sales Manager, who lost to DeMo in the second round, according to a press release. “Was it an unfair advantage that Allen was trained by Thai farmers who trim coconuts for a living when the rest of us are taught by YouTube? Maybe.”
A few audience members watched in the splash zone and were splattered with coconut shells and coconut water, but, luckily, there were no injuries reported other than a slightly bruised ego of the second-fastest young coconut opener. Account Manager Matt Hubbard came close to the first-place seat after opening a coconut in 10 seconds with a coconut opening tool.
To see the fun yourself, watch the video above, or check out the highlight reel from the young coconut challenge on Frieda’s Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
