SALINAS, CA - While packaged salads are a monumental part of today’s produce department, as Tracy Carranza shares with me, it’s a category long in need of an upgrade. Seizing the opportunity to deliver something new in the retail salad kit category, Church Brothers Farms is debuting Little Gems Salad Kits.
“Salad kits are one of the biggest growth engines in produce, but when you look across the salad set, the format feels largely the same,” says the Vice President of Retail Sales. “There’s been plenty of innovation with bold and unique flavors, but very little when it comes to how the kits themselves are structured. In the last few years, Little Gems have done really well for us on the foodservice side, and since food trends typically start there, we knew there was an opportunity to bring something different to the retail side.”
A giant in the foodservice sector, Church Brothers’ Farms’ latest debut makes a strong case for the company’s retail savvy. Available in Caesar, Champagne, Creamy Chipotle, and Miso Ginger, the kits feature whole-leaf Little Gem lettuce, dressings made with avocado oil, and smaller proportioned 8.5 oz bags to reduce food waste.
“If you open up Instagram or TikTok, health and wellness is at the forefront of everybody’s mind right now,” Tracy adds. “I think a lot of consumers are challenging companies on the ingredients they use and want transparency in their products.”
Church Brothers Farms wanted to answer this demand, which is in part the inspiration behind Little Gems Salad Kits.
“We’re able to address two different consumers. We’re able to find that consumer who’s bored with chopped salad kits and is ready for something else. And we’re also able to bring in those shoppers who may have walked away from the category because they’ve educated themselves on ingredients, and they don’t feel like another packaged salad option has the best ingredients to make it worth the spend,” Tracy explains.
The packaging is minimal yet striking, with a unique, artisanal feel that differentiates it on the shelf.
“We wanted to be able to speak to a generation of Millennials and Gen Z, who frankly hate color,” Tracy says candidly. “Speaking to those consumers who want aesthetically pleasing color palettes, we’re also tapping into influencer trends that highlight meal planning or the inside of a shopper’s fridge. We were very mindful of the packaging.”
On the back of the packaging, there is a “Boost Your Plate” protein call-out.
“People are starved for time, and everyone’s tired of making decisions,” Tracy says. “Offering options on the back of the packaging is a no-brainer from a consumer standpoint. For retailers, it’s driving a bigger basket size since you’re encouraging shoppers to go and pick out more items throughout the store.”
With the kits set to go to market in 2026, Church Brothers Farms has a host of materials to support the launch. One of these is the company’s new website, which shows its growing devotion to retail and consumer-forward branding.
“Our new website is reflective of the direction we’re headed in,” Tracy says. “It’s a story about where we are today, and it better speaks the language of today’s shopper.”
There’s much more to learn about the Little Gems Salad Kits than I can fit into one article, so don’t miss your chance to speak with the team at the upcoming IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show at booth #1175!
Companies in this Story
Church Brothers Farms
Church Brothers Farms is a vertically-integrated family owned and operated company that produces a full line of fresh…
