GONZALES, CA - I don’t know about you, but kale deserves a comeback. The extremely versatile veg is one I still see featured prominently on foodservice menus—but how do we get shoppers back on the kale train? I turned to Nicole Zapata, Marketing Director of Misionero, for some insights both on the category and the market.

“Despite the incremental growth our industry has seen with kale, recent data indicates that there is a decline in consumption,” she explained. “However, there are still several ways to market this product effectively through offering new blends and kits as well as re-educating consumers about kale’s nutritional value and helping consumers discover new ways to enjoy this product.”

I, for one, am incredibly partial to frying up some garlic and squeezing a liberal amount of lemon over shredded kale. The acid in the lemon helps soften the kale and the fried garlic… Well, let’s just say it’s only there to be delicious.

“In addition to offering new and unique products, promoting engaging content that highlights the versatility of kale through marketing and social media can be an effective way to reach a wider audience,” Nicole added.

Currently, the market is stable, although the unusual weather patterns could potentially cause the crop to tighten up in the near future. And despite adverse effects of weather on growth, Nicole assured me that the overall quality of the crop is good.

So, what’s stopping you from going hard on those kale promotions?

Misionero