SALINAS SCENE: Retailer serves as proving ground for Salinas-area growers
SALINAS SCENE: Retailer serves as proving ground for Salinas-area growers
SALINAS, CA " Star Market, here, a mid-sized, independent, family-owned store not to be confused with the Star Market supermarket chain acquired by Albertson?s a year ago, prides itself (among other things) on carrying a wide variety of fresh produce from Salinas-area growers.
The single-entity grocery store has long been a favorite outlet for products from growers in the tri-county area of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
Star Produce Manager Denis Nishihara said that local companies like to be able to come in and see the fruits " or more often vegetables " of their labor on display. "Customers like to see local-based companies in the store," Mr. Nishihara said.
In bagged salads, a recent check of the shelves revealed a variety that included product from area companies Fresh Express, Tanimura & Antle, Pride of San Juan, Mann Packing, D?Arrigo Bros. of California, Epic Roots, Earthbound Farm, Newman?s Own Organics and Metz Fresh. At other times during the year, Star Market also carries the bagged salads of River Ranch and Misionero Vegetable Sales. There are multiple bagged salad offerings on the shelf from a number of these companies.
Star Market often has been a testing site for products in the pre-rollout stage. In large part, as a single, independent entity, Star Market can be nimble and make decisions quickly " a luxury that larger supermarket chains don?t always enjoy.
Mr. Nishihara said that such testing has included Epic Roots? mache; Fresh Express? value-added fruit product Real! Fresh! Fruit!; California Giant?s "Just Strawberries? drink; Pride of San Juan?s "Emeril?s? line of bagged salads, herbs and heirloom tomatoes; T&A?s temptation melons (orange-flesh honeydews); and orange cauliflower, first from D?Arrigo and then from Colorful Harvest. Star Market was also a test site for Colorful Harvest?s "Rainbow Crunch Carrots? and "Rainbow Crunch Carrot Chips," Mann Packing?s broccolini and T&A?s broccoflower.
Star Market was one of the early stores to carry avocados from Monterey County Avocados. Often, Star Market is the first " and only " store for many miles to carry certain specialty items. Salinas-area chainstore supermarkets even direct customers to Star Market for some hard-to-find items, Mr. Nishihara said.
One such item is romanesco, an odd-looking cauliflower from Ocean Mist Farms. The store carries asparagus tips from Jackpot, a facility that packs asparagus for The Nunes Co. and other companies. Star Market sometimes carries Foxy Foods? vegetable pack. Gonzales, CA-based Foxy licenses the "Foxy? brand name from The Nunes Co.
Star Market has a sizable organic produce section, relying largely on product from Earthbound Farm and Coke Farms in nearby Hollister, CA.
?If we can get [produce] in California, we make our best effort to get it here," Mr. Nishihara said.
Star Markets goes out to pick up about half of the fresh produce it handles directly from the grower companies, Mr. Nishihara said.
Other area companies with representation in Star?s produce aisle include Salyer American Fresh Foods (lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli), Capurro Marketing (Iceberg and leaf lettuces), Christopher Ranch (variety of products), Driscoll Strawberry Associates (strawberries), Monterey Mushrooms (Portabella, brown and sliced mushrooms), Far West (mushrooms), Tri-Counties Packing (celery hearts) and Pezzini Farms (artichokes).
In the summer, Star Market carries a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes from companies such as Tomato Fest.
Maria Arroyo, Star Market?s assistant produce manager, said that the store carries product from "at least 50 local companies."
The single-entity grocery store has long been a favorite outlet for products from growers in the tri-county area of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
Star Produce Manager Denis Nishihara said that local companies like to be able to come in and see the fruits " or more often vegetables " of their labor on display. "Customers like to see local-based companies in the store," Mr. Nishihara said.
In bagged salads, a recent check of the shelves revealed a variety that included product from area companies Fresh Express, Tanimura & Antle, Pride of San Juan, Mann Packing, D?Arrigo Bros. of California, Epic Roots, Earthbound Farm, Newman?s Own Organics and Metz Fresh. At other times during the year, Star Market also carries the bagged salads of River Ranch and Misionero Vegetable Sales. There are multiple bagged salad offerings on the shelf from a number of these companies.
Star Market often has been a testing site for products in the pre-rollout stage. In large part, as a single, independent entity, Star Market can be nimble and make decisions quickly " a luxury that larger supermarket chains don?t always enjoy.
Mr. Nishihara said that such testing has included Epic Roots? mache; Fresh Express? value-added fruit product Real! Fresh! Fruit!; California Giant?s "Just Strawberries? drink; Pride of San Juan?s "Emeril?s? line of bagged salads, herbs and heirloom tomatoes; T&A?s temptation melons (orange-flesh honeydews); and orange cauliflower, first from D?Arrigo and then from Colorful Harvest. Star Market was also a test site for Colorful Harvest?s "Rainbow Crunch Carrots? and "Rainbow Crunch Carrot Chips," Mann Packing?s broccolini and T&A?s broccoflower.
Star Market was one of the early stores to carry avocados from Monterey County Avocados. Often, Star Market is the first " and only " store for many miles to carry certain specialty items. Salinas-area chainstore supermarkets even direct customers to Star Market for some hard-to-find items, Mr. Nishihara said.
One such item is romanesco, an odd-looking cauliflower from Ocean Mist Farms. The store carries asparagus tips from Jackpot, a facility that packs asparagus for The Nunes Co. and other companies. Star Market sometimes carries Foxy Foods? vegetable pack. Gonzales, CA-based Foxy licenses the "Foxy? brand name from The Nunes Co.
Star Market has a sizable organic produce section, relying largely on product from Earthbound Farm and Coke Farms in nearby Hollister, CA.
?If we can get [produce] in California, we make our best effort to get it here," Mr. Nishihara said.
Star Markets goes out to pick up about half of the fresh produce it handles directly from the grower companies, Mr. Nishihara said.
Other area companies with representation in Star?s produce aisle include Salyer American Fresh Foods (lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli), Capurro Marketing (Iceberg and leaf lettuces), Christopher Ranch (variety of products), Driscoll Strawberry Associates (strawberries), Monterey Mushrooms (Portabella, brown and sliced mushrooms), Far West (mushrooms), Tri-Counties Packing (celery hearts) and Pezzini Farms (artichokes).
In the summer, Star Market carries a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes from companies such as Tomato Fest.
Maria Arroyo, Star Market?s assistant produce manager, said that the store carries product from "at least 50 local companies."
