Berry dishes, drinks, and demand are on the rise, and our industry’s growers have the crops to bring you quality produce for increased traffic. With Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, your customers will be fine-tuning their shopping lists to get holiday feasts in order, and we’ve rounded up some seasonal insights to get your produce aisles shipshape…
“During the holiday season, berries are positioned to take center stage as a vibrant addition to any traditional holiday dish! Whether adorning desserts like pies, tarts, and trifles; incorporated into savory dishes like berry-infused glazes and sauces; or quick-pickled for a surprisingly tasty appetizer, berries offer a wonderful balance of tartness and sweetness that complements a wide range of flavors. The addition of fresh berries also provides a festive, jewel-toned vibrancy—a key trend of this year for savvy menu developers and home chefs alike who crave naturally derived pops of color.”
“A consumer’s desire for great-eating fruit never ends, which is why we offer a flavorful berry option for every season. This fall, we have the arrival of a fresh new kind of berry, Kiwi berries, grown in Oregon. About the size of a grape, Kiwi berries are an extra-small variety of kiwifruit that has smooth, edible skin. The fuzz-free exterior makes it easy to pop into mouths as a quick and delicious snack. The softer the berry, the sweeter the taste. Kiwi berries are packed with flavor, but they have a short season, so get them while you can!”
“Strawberries are the perfect accoutrements for any holiday gathering. Regardless of the occasion, strawberries provide a sweet, colorful, and healthy way to spruce up any meal, and they can be used in both savory and sweet dishes. Advise shoppers to use them in a salad, sauce, or as the centerpiece of their favorite dessert. There are so many options; imaginations can run wild. During the holidays, fresh berries will be available from both California and Mexico—and are ideal for promotion during those time periods. Try merchandising and promoting larger packages during the holidays to take advantage of larger-sized holiday gatherings.”
“Our berries will be in full force and full flavor just as we enter the holiday season. At a time that’s slow for some other berry growers, SUNSET® is bringing the supply and some surprises that will turn heads in retail. Our WOW™ Organic Strawberries will elevate flavor expectations for the organic consumer, and our new Summer Dream™ Raspberries will keep the taste of summer alive all winter long.”
“Consumers continue to reach for healthy, high-flavor, convenient snacking alternatives—providing retailers an excellent opportunity to merchandise berries as one of the best snacking options. Focus on highlighting the category, such as our Organic Greenhouse Berries™, in point-of-sale materials that feature sharable holiday snack ideas such as charcuterie boards, or cross-merchandise berries next to select cheese or dip options to increase impulse buys. Consumers are looking for new, fresh ideas to wow their guests during the holidays—and berries have endless potential to do so.”
“Celebrate the holidays with Smuccies™ Sweet Strawberries! They’re the festive fruit you need, with their vibrant red color and delicious sweetness. Whether you’re baking desserts or sipping cocktails, they’re the perfect companion throughout the holiday season for friends and family get-togethers. CEA-grown (Controlled Environment Agriculture) year-round in the largest indoor strawberry farm in North America, our berries beat the distance for customers in Eastern Canada and the Midwest United States, ensuring top-notch flavor and quality!”
“November and Thanksgiving mean peak sales for our retail partners as they experience extreme holiday demand. We love being part of this significant holiday now that we have year-round fresh strawberries. Our bright red strawberries bring color and flavor to side dishes, cocktails, and that perfect charcuterie board complementing big holiday meals. We enjoy engaging with consumers and providing recipe inspiration as they plan their menus throughout the holiday season, providing easy and memorable ways to incorporate our fresh berries into family celebrations.”
“The holiday season is a great time to promote berries. Strawberries bring color and sweetness to any dish and are the perfect pop of red in your celebratory glass of champagne, holiday pies, and more! We have many delicious and fun holiday recipes on our website. The Strawberry Santa Hats and Strawberry Mulled Wine are some of our favorites!”
“Fall berries will be coming on just in time for holiday get-togethers. The berries will be in good supply for holiday menus—festive drinks, delightful desserts, savory charcuterie boards, sauces, salads…the possibilities are endless. In addition to being versatile and delicious in many different dishes, berries are also a healthy way to add some delicious sweetness and beautiful color to a menu.”
“When you think of November and berries, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Thanksgiving and cranberries. But those aren’t the only berries in peak season this time of year. Leveraging our growers throughout North and South America, Naturipe Farms is able to offer delicious and fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries throughout the fall. What better way to feature those berries on the Thanksgiving table than with a recipe that incorporates all of them, such as Naturipe’s mixed berry cranberry sauce? Fresh berries are great accompaniments to sweet and savory dishes and look beautiful as a garnish. The opportunities to promote mixed berries are endless, and retailers and consumers shouldn’t assume that just because we’re in the colder months, these delicious berries aren’t ripe for the picking—from the grocery store shelves, that is!"
“As the holiday season approaches, many of us are thinking about hosting gatherings with family and friends. Our YES!BERRIES® Strawberries are versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes. Balsamic-glazed strawberries and goat cheese on crostini are a great sweet-savory appetizer. They also work beautifully in a simple strawberry trifle with layers of pound cake and whipped cream. Picked at the peak of perfection, our outrageously sweet strawberries are bursting with flavor in every berry bite. They’re greenhouse-grown in Ontario, Canada, and available year-round, making them the perfect fresh and festive addition to your shoppers’ holiday entertaining menu.” 
