Seasonal Fresh Produce Trends:<br />Grocers Await Sweet V-Day Rewards With Strawberries

Get your game faces on, grocers: You’ve got back-to-back golden opportunities to keep those registers humming with Super Bowl weekend behind us and Valentine’s Day just days away.

Bearing out that the best way to one’s heart is through his or her stomach, new insights by the Allrecipes community finds 80 percent of Americans believing that special foods on Valentine’s Day are the ultimate romantic antidote.
 
Of particular note for supermarket retailers is Allrecipes’ survey finding that says more than 65 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day by cooking at home this year, while more than 44 percent will accompany their meal with wine. Speaking of which, 51 percent of women surveyed made plain their disappointment that their significant others chronically fail to prepare the home-cooked Valentine’s Day meal. In fact, the majority of women fully anticipate being “it” for KP duties on Feb. 14, despite their overwhelming belief that their own home, thanks to the pesky economy, is more conducive to a romantic evening than is dining out.

If the following list of last year’s Top 5 Valentine’s Day dishes are any indication, it would be wise to shore up orders of:

1. Strawberries (chocolate-covered, please!)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-covered-strawberries/detail.aspx

2. Cornish Game Hens with Garlic and Rosemary
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cornish-game-hens-with-garlic-and-rosemary/detail.aspx

3. Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/filet-mignon-with-rich-balsamic-glaze/detail.aspx

4. Lobster Tail
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broiled-lobster-tails/detail.aspx

5. Salmon
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-rosemary-salmon/detail.aspx

Interestingly, Allrecipes sees an 8 percent jump in average daily views on V-Day, with the following city residents visiting the most: Elmhurst, Ill.; Pleasanton, Calif.; Richardson, Texas; Irvine, Calif.; and Ocala, Fla.

With Valentine’s Day upon us, the timing certainly couldn’t be better to showcase the delicious attributes of strawberries, and that’s just what Well-Pict Berries and Lifetime Television’s “The Balancing Act” are doing beginning this month.

In a new episode shot in January at BrandStar Entertainment Studios in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., “The Balancing Act’s” berry segment enlightens its audience — primarily composed of simplified-lifestyle-seeking women — with helpful tips on washing and storing strawberries to extend their longevity. The strawberry segment, which is set to debut on Feb. 8, and repeat on Feb. 26 and March 12, will also discuss how Well-Pict strawberries safely get from field to table, as well as providing an overview of strawberries’ “superfood” status.

“This is the perfect partnership for us,” declared Dan Crowley, sales manager for the Watsonville, Calif.-based berry firm. Having served as the spokesman for the segment, Crowley said that Well-Pict’s premium, proprietary strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, available today in both organic and conventional lines year-round, offer “all the characteristics the show was looking for,” which in turn, will give the grower/shipper a dynamic national platform to get Well-Pict’s message out to consumers. “It’s a win/win for everyone!” added the ever-upbeat Crowley.

For more details regarding Well-Pict’s appearance on Lifetime’s The Balancing Act in the months ahead, contact Julie Lucido at (559) 322-0203. For general information, visit www.wellpict.com, or better yet, give Crowley a shout via (831) 722-3871.

Meanwhile, click through the link here to “steak out” another beloved V-Day victual.
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds