Kingsville, ON (October 16, 2023) – Mastronardi Produce, the fourth-generation family-owned company that pioneered commercial greenhouse growing in North America, is ramping up its award-winning Queen of Greens® lettuce brand with a new line of salad kits. The salad kits feature the brand’s premium crafted lettuce blends and carefully selected toppings that create four SKUs of vibrant flavors and textures. Queen of Greens® Salad Kits will make their premiere at the IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show this fall and grace the shelves of top US retailers early next year.
“We are thrilled to enter this booming category with a top-shelf line of products,” says Peppe Bonfiglio, Vice President of Sales at Mastronardi Produce. “Consumers want salad kits that are innovative and flavorful, and Mastronardi Produce is a demonstrated leader in both those domains.”
Salad kits are the largest segment in the lettuce category, generating over $2.8 billion annually and continuing to grow year over year.
The company’s in-house marketing team performed meticulous research to source and hand-select gourmet ingredients for the salad kit components, resulting in four robust salad kits with generous toppings:
Superior Caesar™: Raging Romaine™ blend with crumbled croutons, shredded Parmesan cheese, and creamy Caesar dressing.
Mediterranean Crunch™: Spirited Spring Mix™ blend with crispy chickpeas, feta cheese, and organic Greek vinaigrette.
Lemon Parmesan™: Unruly Arugula™ blend with sliced almonds, shredded Parmesan cheese, and lemon basil dressing.
Southwest Ranch™: Raging Romaine™ blend with crispy corn, tortilla strips, cheddar cheese, and chipotle ranch dressing.
Queen of Greens marked an industry milestone when it launched last fall as the first large-scale brand of greenhouse grown lettuce that is washed and ready-to-eat. In February, the brand was awarded a prestigious PAC Global Award for Brand Marketing thanks to its eye-catching label design. Mastronardi Produce anticipates the new brand extension to interrupt the salad kit segment. The four new salad kits will be on proud display at this year’s Global Show, and Queen of Greens is ready to rule the category.
Mastronardi Company Contact:
Audra Macintyre, Communications Specialist
o: 519-326-3218
c: 519-791-9965
audra.macintyre@sunsetgrown.com