During PMA 2018 in Orlando, Florida October 18-19 where more than 20,000 participants from all over the world attended the Fresh Summit Convention & Expo visitors to Village Farms booth were asked to vote for their favorite tomato. Village Farms has tallied the results of their, ‘Are you Sweet or Smooth?’ tomato taste challenge and the company reports they had a great response and turnout. Participants cast their vote by stating their preference for either Village Farms signature and exclusive “Sweet” red Heavenly Villagio Marzano tomato or the newest variety to their offerings, the “Smooth” orange Lorabella Blossom tomato. While each tomato offers a unique flavor profile, what Village Farms discovered is that those in the ‘Sweet’ camp and those in the ‘Smooth’ camp are practically equal. Convention goers liked the Lorabella Blossom tomato almost as much as Heavenly Villagio Marzano tomato.
The results are not surprising given the growth in specialty tomatoes over the past several years. This is largely due to changing consumer preferences for more unique flavors and color experiences. “It is wonderful to compliment the Nielsen consumption data we use with this rich qualitative taste challenge data that shows consumers are becoming more adventurous in their taste preferences, and delighting in our little orange snacking tomato Lorabella Blossom just as much as they have been with our Heavenly Villagio Marzano tomato”, said Helen L. Aquino, Director of Brand Marketing & Communication for Village Farms. After the unprecedented success of Heavenly Villagio Marzano, the only authentic mini san Marzano available in North America, and exclusive to Village Farms’ that was launched at PMA 7 years ago, the company was sure the market was ready for the smooth taste of Lorabella Blossom, that is also in the San Marzano family and launched just last year. Aquino went on to say that while the orange tomato is unconventional in color compared to the sea of red dominating retail displays, this promotion has shown consumers are ready for new flavor opportunities in a category of sameness.
Participants in the promotion were entered in a random drawing to win a Traeger grill. They also had an opportunity to provide feedback on why they liked either tomato. Some of the comments for the Lorabella Blossom tomato described the tomato as ‘tasty’, ‘less acidic’, ‘zippy’, ‘refreshing’, ‘smooth’, and ‘outstanding!’ For the Heavenly Villagio Marzano tomato the comments ranged from ‘sweet’, ‘taste like a real tomato’, ‘zesty’, to ‘crisp texture’. Common themes were ‘just picked from the vine’ and interestingly enough, ‘garden fresh flavor’, a tagline the company already uses in its communications gleaned from numerous consumer feedback over the years.
The company is ramping up production on both the Heavenly Villagio Marzano and Lorabella Blossom tomatoes and is ready for a strong winter season with these varieties as well as all their other flavorsome tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumber varieties. For more information please visit www.villagefarms.com
About Village Farms
Village Farms is one of the largest producers, marketers, and distributors of premium-quality, greenhouse-grown fruits and vegetables in North America. The food our farmers grow, along
with other greenhouse farmers under exclusive arrangements are all grown in environmentally friendly, soil-less, glass greenhouses. The Village Farms® brand of fruits and vegetables is marketed and distributed primarily to local retail grocers and dedicated fresh food distributors throughout the United States and Canada. Since its inception, Village Farms has been guided by sustainability principles that enable us to grow food 365 days a year that not only feeds the growing population but is healthier for people and the planet. Village Farms is Good for the Earth® and good for you
Source: Village Farms
