Side Delights® Taps New Year’s “Selective Splurge” Trend with Champagne Pairings; Kathleen Triou Comments

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - As consumers selectively splurge on premium items like Champagne for New Year’s celebrations, Side Delights® is helping retailers build bigger baskets by pairing those purchases with high-value, versatile potatoes.

Potatoes are increasingly featured as an elegant foundation for New Year’s menus, from homemade potato chips and smashed potatoes to shareable roasted appetizers designed to complement sparkling or still wines, like The Today Show’s potato filling with crème fraîche, parsley, and trout caviar in a crispy potato skin. Potatoes’ accessibility and versatility make them a natural companion to Champagne, allowing retailers to balance premium purchases with everyday staples.

“New Year’s is a prime opportunity to merchandise potatoes beyond the produce aisle,” said Kathleen Triou, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fresh Solutions Network, in the recent release. “When paired with Champagne, for example, potatoes help retailers inspire celebration, expand the basket, and drive incremental sales across departments.”

Side Delights® encourages cross-merchandising potatoes near Champagne or sparkling wine displays, creating holiday endcaps, and using simple pairing messaging to turn New Year’s entertaining into a profitable, multi-department retail moment.

Visit the Side Delights® Recipe site for elevated recipes and new ways to enjoy the full portfolio of potato products during this celebratory season and the rest of the year.

Side Delights® offers a variety of products, including bagged and bulk potatoes, potato kits, convenience potatoes, petite potatoes, fresh-cut potatoes, and organic potatoes. For more information on Side Delights® and its network of farms, visit FreshSolutionsNet.com, SideDelights.com, and GrownWhereItMatters.com.