A Potato Palooza

Farm and Ranch Report October 6, 2010 Go into a grocery store and sure you will find potatoes in the produce section and frozen foods. But what if they were also displays by meat and seafood and dairy and the deli with dishes that the busy mother can make in 30 minute or less. Potatoes around the store perimeter, that is what “Safeway Potato Palooza” was all about.

Kathleen Triou, Vice President of Domestic Marketing for the U.S. Potato Board, was involved in that recent palooza held at Safeway headquarters for more than 30 produce, meat and seafood, and deli managers.

Triou: “And had an opportunity to engage these senior leaders within each of these departments in a dialogue around how potatoes could really pull through each of these departments and increase profitability for the retailer.”

The Potato Board’s Foodservice marketing partner, Ketchum Communications along with Safeway’s executive chef Jeff Anderson developed a Tasting Menu with 15 different items. Among the innovative ideas for perimeter display, a refrigerated potato salad kit with all the ingredients pre-measured and vacuum packed.

Triou: “Mom can take the pack home, boil up the potatoes, and frankly even the potatoes could already be pre-boiled. She can take it home, mix it up and it presents itself as a fresh potato salad. She did in in five minutes.”

Since the palooza Triou says Safeway has requested information on one of the ideas presented, a marinated Rancher’s Reserve skirt steak paired with balsamic marinated potatoes.

That’s the U.S. Potato Update. Brought to you by the United States Potato Board, maximizing return on grower investment. I’m Bob Hoff for Northwest Aginfo Net.