ANAHEIM, CA - In a recent Shop Talk exclusive, RPE’s Mackenzie Hammond pulled back the curtain on an exciting product launch: Potatoes Your Way™. Upon learning about the rollout of this creative and convenient new lineup, I just had to touch base with the company’s experts to dive further into the latest developments for Tasteful Selections®.

“The big idea behind the development of Potatoes Your Way spurred from listening to consumers,” Rachel Atkinson-Leach, RPE’s Vice President of Brand and Category Excellence, explained. “Would you believe that, with all the information at our fingertips and the long history of potatoes, people still research “How to cook potatoes” an average of 6,600 times per month? Potatoes are still America’s favorite vegetable, and consumers are looking for new ways to prepare and enjoy them. Providing our customers with fresh potatoes coupled with flavorful seasonings is a way to bring freshness, convenience, and great taste to the dinner table—now, with Potatoes Your Way, the convenience and versatility are multiplied.”

The Garlic Parsley and Zesty Italian Herb flavors welcome consumers into a comforting, savory, and classic space, offering up different cooking methods that lean into the most popular ways to prepare potatoes such as oven-roasted, air-fried, or microwaved.

“Potatoes Your Way is a union of flavor, versatility, and convenience. The 16 oz tray of Honey Gold potatoes along with the pre-measured seasoning packet can be prepared quickly, according to a simple recipe of the consumer’s choosing,” Rachel says. “Once the potatoes are consumed, the multi-purpose tray they are packed in can be recycled, composted, or reused. After years in development, this tray is the first of its kind!”

As Rachel advises, Potatoes Your Way should be merchandised along with the fresh potatoes in the produce department. Secondary locations—especially those near the meat department—also prove successful for the category.

“During the holidays, the potato category sees a substantial increase in traffic, making it the perfect time to introduce new products. Consumers are also shopping the category in multiple ways—a bite-sized potato for an appetizer recipe, large yellow potatoes for a roasted potato dish, and Russet potatoes for classic mashed potatoes,” Rachel notes. “Retailers should keep their potato sets well-stocked and add SKUs to ensure they’re offering their shoppers all the formats they require during the holidays.”

For more information, including a video on the variety of ways to prepare and enjoy Potatoes Your Way, click here.

With a renewed sense of innovation and portfolio development, RPE and Tasteful Selections continue to amplify growth for this staple produce category.

For more fresh produce news, stick with us here at ANUK.

Tasteful Selections®