California Giant Berry Farms delivers the best berry experience for the foodservice industry by providing an all-season supply of sustainably grown strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries that represent the highest standards for quality, consistency and smiles.
Base: 400 (U.S.) & 8,701 (global) foodservice consumers, Q: Of all the food/beverages you consume in a typical week, how many meals do you have per day? How often do you consume a snack? Q: Please indicate the degree to which each statement describes you, on a scale of 1 to 5. Showing top two box
Source: “The Blueberry Consumer” USHBC
U.S.
Global
Source: “The Blueberry Consumer” USHBC
One of the greatest lessons learned in 2020 was that we are all able to be more flexible, creative and nimble than we ever thought possible. In keeping with that theme, it is more difficult to make predictions for 2021, but some of the commonalities among respected resources include:
It’s a fact: People simply aren’t eating nearly enough fruits and vegetables to meet their basic nutritional and health needs. Federal nutrition guidance advises everyone to fill half their plates with produce at every eating occasion, every day, to reduce their risk of many chronic diseases. Yet, we’re nowhere close. Just one in 10 adults meets these recommendations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
3. Blueberry Customer Segmentation, April 2019 and Winter 2020, Topline U&A Study Wave 2, Jan/Feb 2020
Source: U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
Source: Datassential SNAP™ 2021
“The beauty of the berry lies within the endless possibilities of flavor pairings for each individual berry type. I love eating blueberries by the handful, but I also love taking the time to think about different applications and how they would complement other ingredients, such as blueberries + balsamic + chicken! Each berry presents a world of opportunities and menu applications. When I bite into a California Giant strawberry, I’m immediately transported out to the field where it was picked, and my flavor pairing thought process begins…I like to think about how I can incorporate spicy, savory, sour and salty components to transform the already delicious berries into something even more exciting and beautiful!”
“My entire life was changed the day I picked and ate a strawberry straight off the plant at one of California Giant Berry Farms. I’ve never tasted a berry so delicious in my entire life, it was plump, juicy and was so sweet that I fell in love immediately!
As a professional chef, berries are one of my favorite ingredients to work with because they are so versatile and can be used in just about anything you can think of: savory, sweet and everything in between! I use them for pickling, making hot sauces, alcohol infusions, brining proteins, pies, barbecue sauces, fresh salad components, salad dressings and more! California Giant Berry Farms is an amazing company filled with incredible people who work very closely with talented farmers. In my professional opinion, there is no better berry on the market which is why I use them exclusively at all of my restaurants!
Berries are so versatile and easy to work with, I suggest adding them to some of your favorite recipes and see what you come up with, berries are only limited by one’s imagination!”
“Berries as a category are first thought as garnish for desserts, or maybe as an ingredient for a dessert. What is true now, is that berries are part of every segment of foodservice, from breakfast at a dinner, snack at a school cafeteria, to an ingredient for a sauce on an entree in a white tablecloth wine pairing dinner menu. Berries are a part of menus in all foodservice outlets these days. They can take a complete leading roll on a menu item or be perfectly fine as an addition to complement another fruit plate. In the last decade, berries have taken an important role in the foodservice industry, not only for their nutritional value, but for their ability to complement other ingredients in the bar, salads, apps and even entrée applications. Chefs are turning on to berries as ingredients to attract the interest of their customers and bring a different flavor profile to their dishes.”
Unload all berries immediately into a cold room 32°F. Never allow a shipment to sit outside of a cold atmosphere.
Check for maturity, ripeness level, quantity, packaging, size, count, weight, and grade. Report any discrepancies immediately.
Store unwashed, in clamshells away from sources of moisture; moisture will cause rapid breakdown of the berry.
Don’t wash berries until ready to serve and use a gentle spray of cool water.
Don’t remove green caps from strawberries until after rinsing. This helps to retain flavor inside the berries.
Strawberries
1 lb. • 2 lb. • 3 lb. • 4 lb.
Blueberries
6 oz. • Pint • 18 oz. • 24 oz. • 2 lb.
Raspberries
6 oz. • 12 oz.
Blackberries
6 oz. • 12 oz.
Ask your sales representative about our sustainable offerings