NOGALES, AZ - July is a month of opportunities, especially for building relationships between foodservice operators and supply-chain companies who strategize solutions across the segment for the betterment of fresh produce. With the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Foodservice Conference nearing, best-in-class companies will join together to talk about innovation, market opportunities, and challenges in an effort to better the category and plan for the future. Companies like Divine Flavor are taking advantage of such opportunities, bringing their own vision for foodservice and growth across the segment.

“As a leading supplier of table grapes and hot house veg, it’s important for us to connect with this critical segment of the industry, as foodservice is its own unique component,” Patrick Cortes, Vice President of Sales, shares. “The backbone is our farms producing some of the highest quality, flavorful, and safest products. In foodservice, having a consistent supply is paramount. As a vertically integrated grower-shipper, we want to offer solutions to our food service providers that guarantee the surety of supply for their programs.”

Divine Flavor’s core driving vision revolves around the team’s dedication to ensuring top-notch, quality produce, excellence, and value for all customers in all industry segments.

“Our ultimate goal is to be recognized as the go-to source for consistently fresh produce of the highest quality in the market. This commitment extends to our current customers and those we hope to serve in the future,” Patrick continues. “Through contracted pricing, we firmly believe we are a viable and dependable source for our food service partners.”

With the Foodservice Conference on the horizon, the show will coincide perfectly with Divine Flavor’s Baja and Central Mexico programs. The company will showcase organic and conventionally colored bell peppers, mini peppers, Long English and Persian cucumbers, yellow squash, and Italian zucchini, as well as tomatoes such as the company’s staple Roma, Beefsteaks, and TOVs. In addition, attendees can expect Divine Flavor’s sweet-snacking Magnifico grape tomatoes.

“While the Mexican table grape season will be all but finished, we will start transitioning into our new California table grape program with premium varieties and getting set for our sizeable offshore grape program from Peru and Chile,” Patrick details. “We will be showcasing each of these items and explaining the farms they come from. Our company is dedicated to a six-pillar philosophy focusing on quality/flavor, food safety, social responsibility, traceability, organics, and sustainability.”

Patrick notes that each of these pillars complies at the highest levels and certification, and each product aligns with Divine Falvor’s six-pillar promise.

“At Divine Flavor, we understand the unique challenges that companies in the foodservice space face, such as surety of supply, stable pricing, and special packs. In addition to outstanding quality produce, we strive to be solutions-based. Whether it’s varied pack styles, sizes, counts, grades, or more, we understand that flexibility is important to being a great foodservice supplier,” Patrick concludes.

Find out more about the Divine Flavor program at booth #519 for this year’s IFPA Foodservice Conference.

See you all next month!

AUSTRIA - We tend to keep our eyes on international retail news as often as we look at domestic. It’s good to get a feel for how the market is shifting around the globe as the continued retail theme seems to be on new management. Most recently, Lidl Austria announced it was restructuring its management team, beginning with a new Chief Executive Officer in Michael Kunz.

“We have set a lot to do here in recent years. And I am fully motivated to continue on this chosen path,” remarked 39-year-old Kunz in a recent press release. He will assume the role on August 1, 2024.

The young CEO began working for Lidl Austria as the Managing Director of Sales and Logistics in 2020. He already has 20 years of experience in the business and started his career as Regional Manager at Lidl Switzerland in 2011.

Kunz succeeds Alessandro Wolf who will take on the role of Divisional Director at the Lidl Foundation in September. In this new role, Wolf will be responsible for several countries within that framework.

Although we’ve yet to know Kunz’s style of management and his goals, we can ponder on the influence of each division on the other.

Keep reading ANUK as we cover the latest in retail news like this!

OXNARD, CA - It is officially July, meaning the fireworks of Independence Day will soon light up outdoor tables across the United States—and a fan favorite “red” for the red, white, and blue dishes is certainly strawberries.

For that last-minute push at retail, Bobalu reports plenty of promotable strawberry volume to support the holiday demand.

“The Strawberry Commission Pink sheet currently shows the cumulative statewide strawberry volume is still tracking well ahead of the previous two years,” Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing, shared in an email update. “However, we did see the weekly volume dip below 8 million trays of fresh strawberries last week for the first time since April. The industry is forecasting that volume should plateau for the next couple of weeks before beginning to slow a little.”

From the western side of Santa Maria, California, the grower’s fruit is going strong with volume looking to remain consistent. Bobalu reported nice color, sizing, and flavor, with plans already in place to rotate swiftly into the next crop for fall, projected to kickstart in August.

“As in past seasons, we will transition here in Santa Maria first as we approach fall, then Oxnard will follow with a fall crop as well,” Cindy concluded.

Bobalu is just coming off of celebrating one of its key local initiatives, having awarded the 2024 scholarships of its new program to 14 students from Oxnard and Santa Maria. As of 2024, Bobalu has granted 44 scholarships total to graduating high school seniors attending colleges and universities throughout the U.S.

As we monitor all impactful moves from every facet of the industry, AndNowUKnow will report the latest.

WENATCHEE, WA - Envy™ apples continue to perform well as T&G Global reports that its top branded apple is transitioning to new season fresh imports from New Zealand.

"Our fresh harvest import crop is just starting to arrive now," commented Vince Lopes, Senior Vice President of U.S. Sales and Marketing. "With an impeccable blend of sweetness, crispness, and aroma, Envy apples are not only ideal to savor on their own, but they are also perfect for all baking applications, including delicious Fourth of July apple pies. We also offer an array of fresh recipes designed with summer delights in mind on our website and other digital communications."

According to a press release, Envy apples already saw an impressive holiday season with continued strong sales through spring.

“This has been one of our most successful seasons to date despite the significant increase of Envy volume over and above prior season,” added Lopes. “It’s testament to the excellent quality produced by a distinctly chosen group of Washington growers, and U.S. consumers seeking Envy apples out for their highly popular balance of sweetness, texture, and aroma. Simply put, one apple has it all.”

The brand has experienced double-digit growth over the prior year, and this success certainly reinforces that Envy apples are sought out by shoppers.

With a crowded marketplace, it can be difficult to capture consumer attention—but with Envy apples, the impossible has been done.