Fresh Taste Produce provides commercial and independent partners with a wide variety of the highest-quality fruit and vegetables from 35 countries around the world throughout the entire year.

“We are a major importer, packer, and distributor of fresh produce with a world-renowned reputation,” said Julian Sarraino, chief operating officer for the Canadian-based company. “We have a very strong team of industry professionals that focus on a myriad of items. As a result we continue to experience growth in multiple categories.”

Fresh Taste ships product to wholesalers, retailers, institutions, restaurants, food service and jobbers in Canada and the United States. The pandemic shifted some of its focus away from food service last year.

“COVID-19 impacted everyone,” Sarraino said. “Fresh Taste is focused on providing a safe work environment for our entire team so that they can continue to execute their tasks which in turn, benefit the end consumer. We anticipate that we will continue to face many challenges in 2021 and we will continue to arm our team with the safest work environment possible.” 

Fresh Taste values the partnerships that it has in Canada and around the world.

“As challenging as these times have been, our relationships with our growers have become stronger as we’ve worked through these complexities,” Sarraino said. “For us, we had to adapt like any other business and invested in a lot of technology to make our facility safer.”

For instance, Fresh Taste purchased air purifiers that were FDA-approved for killing corona virus in the air.

The recipe for success for the company has always been about delivering and exceeding what customers want, whether that be products or services.

“We want to make sure that we are available to cater to their needs,” Sarraino said. “What we learned last year is that anything can happen and you have to be prepared to adapt. The future is uncertain, and COVID-19 really emphasized how unsure it can be for any business.”

Fresh Taste has what Sarraino describes as a “best-in-class” leadership team.

“We have people who are well respected with a lot of knowledge about the produce business,” he said.

Being a sixth-generation family business, Sarraino noted that every generation puts their own spin on the company, and the evolution has helped Fresh Taste be a leader in the Canadian produce scene.

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, but just smooth it a little bit,” he said. “We’re in this for the long haul so we continue to reinvest within our team and it’s what we know best and do best. We have a deep-rooted history and tradition that is the backbone of the company.”

In fact, Sarraino works with some of the same companies that his father worked with, and his grandfather worked with.

“That makes it really special, because these relationships are so long-lasting,” he said. “We do our best to make sure we provide Canada with the best product possible.”