Q&A with Pedro Batiz, vice president of sales for Divine Flavor (Nogales, AZ), and Rodolfo Leyva, regional sales director for North America for Enza Zaden (Enkhuizen, Netherlands).
Two years ago, Divine Flavor introduced Tribelli peppers. The grower has an agreement with Enza Zaden, the global seed-breeding company that developed these mini peppers, to grow and market the pepper, one of only a handful of North American growers with the right to do so. Perishable News spoke to representatives from the two companies to better understand how retailers benefit from aligned supply chains and what to expect from this new partnership in the future. .jpg)
PN: What is Tribelli and how did this partnership come about?
Batiz: Tribelli is a brand of sweet, multicolored mini peppers that are healthy, organic and high in nutritional value. A product of sustainable agriculture, Tribelli mini peppers are wonderful as snacks or in dishes, and are currently available in U.S. grocery stores. Tribelli is fully integrated into Divine Flavor’s activities, from distribution to presence on social media. We are thrilled about this partnership, as it is incredibly unique – one of a few of its kind!
Leyva: It came about largely because Enza Zaden and Divine Flavor share similar values and a common vision. We’re both family businesses, and we both believe in making sustainable, healthy food for the world. We decided to partner with Divine Flavor because we strongly believe in the product and its potential, especially as healthy snacks become more important throughout the US.
PN: Is there anything notable about today’s retail environment that makes the time “ripe” for this product?
Batiz: Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in snacking, which the Tribelli mini peppers are perfect for; they can be added into children’s lunches, or even brought to work along with complementary dips or sides.
Leyva: Consumers are also interested in healthy, sustainably-produced products that add variety to their dishes, and Tribelli peppers fit that need perfectly.
PN: How do these types of supply chain alignments benefit retailers?
Batiz: Partnerships such as this benefit retailers because they streamline activities. It also leverages our experience throughout the supply chain, as well as the reputation of both Divine Flavor and Enza Zaden to introduce a new product to the U.S.
PN: Should we expect to see more of this type of partnership between Enza Zaden and Divine Flavor?
Leyva: Possibly, and we may see this particular partnership continue to grow and evolve. We have found that this partnership is incredibly beneficial to both the companies involved, and the retailers. A large part of our success is, of course, due to the fact that both companies share similar values, and similar goals.
PN: What specifically will Divine Flavor be doing to promote or market the Tribelli brand and what can retailers expect?
Batiz: Social media has been an important part of the promotion, so we have been sharing Tribelli recipe ideas and nutritional facts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. We’re also planning a series of in-store promotions that will take place in the next few months to allow consumers to taste the product. In addition, we’re working on media activities, events, and more in an effort to increase awareness by educating both trade and consumers about the benefits that Tribelli peppers offer.
DivineFlavor.com
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Tel: 520.281.8328
“Better Food for a Better World”
Source: PerishableNews.com
