Harvest Sensations sees steady foodservice business
Harvest Sensations sees steady foodservice business
There is no doubt that the downturn in the economy brought about a similar downturn in the foodservice sector as people stayed home and restaurant sales suffered. The rebound has occurred and the foodservice sector is slowly but surely coming back.
Tony Pinto, procurement coordinator for Harvest Sensations, recently characterized the business for The Produce News. “On the foodservice side I think it’s as steady as it goes; business is not way up or way down.”
Harvest Sensations was founded in 2000 in Los Angeles to provide chefs “with impeccable quality and seasonal varieties of produce, which they demand to cook in fine restaurants and catering companies,” according to the company’s website. “Harvest Sensations was started based upon the concept of ‘Chefs shopping for Chefs.’“
The company has grown since then to include a retail as well as a foodservice division, and it services its customers from offices and warehouses in both Los Angeles and Miami. Our mix is about 65 percent foodservice, 25 percent wholesale and 10 percent retail,” Pinto said.
The firm features seasonal offerings from a network of local, national and international farms. They also produce a wide variety of plate-ready, hand-cut vegetables and fresh herbs. “Asparagus is our largest mover based upon tonnage,” said Pinto. “We have been importing asparagus for about 9 years from Peru.”
For the 2013 season, he said there appears to be less acreage in Peru, “but we expect similar volumes” compared to the previous year. Harvest Sensations concentrates on green asparagus in the standard 11-pound carton.
With less supplies so far during the summer, Pinto said there are challenges, but “we are trying to fill every order — especially when the market is tight — to make sure the promotions are being covered to gain confidence.”
Stating the same reasoning as virtually all the importers, Pinto said the company mostly air freights its asparagus out of Peru, with high air freight prices and increased volume sometimes requiring shipments by ocean.
Among the services the company touts as distinguishing it from other supplies are “culinary consultation and support for menu planning” as well as an overnight Fed Ex direct shipping program nationwide, six days a week.
