Meeting Boston’s Dynamic Produce Market Needs

Wholesalers on Boston’s New England Produce Center and off-market companies help retailers and foodservice step up to meet consumer trends.

Boston is a unique marketplace when it comes to food, though historically it is known for simplicity.

“Once a person gets past the best three-way roast beef, fried clams and bar pizza, they will discover a diverse food scene where cultures and flavors have positively made their impact,” says Frank Rossetti, president of Banks Square Market, d/b/a The Produce Connection in Wakefield, MA.

“Culinary advancement has pushed the bar for both restaurants and retail outlets, forcing them to step up their game to satisfy consumers,” Rossetti adds. “From fresh lime leaves for a Southeast Asian dish to the perfect carrot to step up grandma’s pot roast, mediocre is becoming taboo. If you want to do well in today’s market, your food has to shine.”

“From fresh lime leaves for a Southeast Asian dish to the perfect carrot to step up grandma’s pot roast, mediocre is becoming taboo. If you want to do well in today’s market, your food has to shine.”
— Frank Rossetti, The Produce Connection, Wakefield, MA

Boston’s diverse demographics support culinary variation. “Such diversity demands a wide variety of products be sourced,” says Steven Piazza, president of Community Suffolk in Chelsea, MA. “Over the last 60 years the Boston market and New England Produce Center (NEPC) has operated, we’ve catered to those changing needs for chain stores and foodservice.”

The Northeast is a melting pot of consumers from all over the world, adds Gene Fabio, president of J. Bonafede in Chelsea, MA. “Taste and demand trends follow this diversity and affect product offerings,” he says. “We see continued growth in ethnic staples, such as mangos and avocados, as well as demand for new products, such as dragon fruit and rambutan.”

Daily Table, a nonprofit community grocery store with a mission to make nutritious food affordable for everyone, serves diverse communities in its five stores across the Greater Boston region.

“Our stores include longtime residents, recent refugees and immigrants, and an increasing number of college students from nearby universities,” says Georgia Ferguson, director of procurement. “We have a large population from the African diaspora, including Somalia, Ethiopia and the Caribbean. There are also a number of residents from China, India, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.”

New England’s vast seasons also deeply impact the produce marketplace. “We see large swings between winter and summer dining in the restaurant industry,” says Allie Wainer, regional vice president New England at Sid Wainer & Son and The Chefs’ Warehouse in New Bedford, MA. “Local growers have a short window to grow in New England, so we rely heavily on other growing regions. The distance can lead to challenges in sourcing, but also to opportunities to find more sustainable ways to source local produce.”

Natasha Carr, director of operations at Chelsea Morning Produce in Ipswich, MA, notes in the past few years, they’ve seen people looking for new and unique experiences. “Whether the design of the venue or design of the menu, diners and shoppers are looking to be wowed,” she says. “Presentation of the space really matters now in retail or restaurant.”

DIVERSE RETAIL DEMANDS

Boston’s diversity runs through the retail space. “Boston has a little of everything, as far as store format,” says Piazza. “We have large format stores to chains to bodegas,” he says. “All customers are looking for value, consistent volume and reasonable price.”

Customers almost always want the best quality products for stores, says Gianna Piazza, lime and avocado sales specialist at Community-Suffolk. “The past couple of years, close to 90% of my retail customers will almost always spend the extra two or three dollars for better quality produce. This makes retail stores thrive because it draws customers back to the store.”

Retailers are looking for beautiful product, including uniformity in size and shape, adds Carr. “We’re seeing more demand for hydroponic because we can achieve more uniform size and visual,” she says. “Shoppers want to see good-looking, clean product.”

Wholesalers mention trends related to health. “With snacking embedded in our culture, we’ve noticed more consumers leaning into the produce section over manufactured snacks than in previous years,” says Rossetti. “We’ve seen increases in items such as snacking tomatoes, radishes, little cukes, specialty seedless grapes, e-z peel citrus and berries.”

Ferguson says Daily Table customers are interested in healthy eating options, including plant-based alternatives and better-for-you snacks. “In our produce department, we’re focused on providing low-cost, high-quality products so our customers can stretch their grocery budgets, while still eating healthy, fresh food,” she says. “We stock the usual staples, such as broccoli, carrots and tomatoes, and also regularly sell hard-to-find products, including young coconuts with straws, rambutan and fresh okra.”

Fabio observes continued movement toward organic produce in both prepared foods and bulk produce. “It’s slow, but steady, movement,” he says. “As younger consumers mature financially with more purchasing power, they are increasingly choosing organic and all-natural.”

Local is another significant trend. “We see steady demand for local product,” says Maurice Crafts, managing partner at Coosemans Boston in Chelsea, MA. “For example, we handle pea shoots grown in a greenhouse in Rhode Island.”

UNIQUENESS IN FOODSERVICE

In Boston’s foodservice, global flavors continue to be in high focus and demand. “Diners are very comfortable with Mediterranean and Asian flavors,” says Rossetti. “In recent years, we’ve seen the success of Greek and Portuguese restaurants expanding into fast-casual or fine dining experiences for guests. Plant-based foods have also been growing their presence on restaurant menus, with produce items taking center stage: roasted cauliflower steaks, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and, of course, hearty greens.”

Limes also continue in popularity. “My foodservice customers use small limes in bigger quantities to supply restaurants, schools and other big establishments,” says G. Piazza.

Boston consumers are looking for what is worth going out to eat. “Diners are becoming more discerning,” says Carr. “They want to know they’re eating at someplace where care is put into what is served. One place we’ve seen do really well is Talise in Gloucester, MA. It was started by a husband and wife and is well known in the food industry.”

Rossetti mentions the growth in recent years with eat-in bakeries, such as Flour Bakery, PRB Boulangerie, and Tatte, focusing on the flavors of slow fermentation and properly executed techniques.
“Then, places such as Tavern in the Square, focus on menus excluding allergens, giving people affected by food-based allergies a fun and lively environment to dine,” he says. “Fiorella’s, a local Italian concept, has roots in ancient Roman mythology and a focus on Italian cuisine and using simple ingredients to create memorable dining experiences beyond customer expectations.”

Increasingly, restaurant diners are more conscious about what they are eating. “Consumers care about ingredients and what is going into their food,” says Wainer. “Plant-based eating continues to grow, while drinking alcohol has shifted to drinking mocktails or nonalcoholic alternatives.”

Boston boasts a diversity of foodservice providers who value the wholesale relationship. “The marketplace has a lot of big providers,” says Patrick Burke, co-owner of Garden Fresh Salad Company in Chelsea, MA. “But there are also small and medium-size companies. There will always be a place for them.”

S. Piazza explains foodservice players of all sizes have found it makes sense to include the wholesale market in their mix of vendors, due to their ability to short ship products they need.

“We can also make up custom pallets they need,” he says. “We are doing a little repacking and a lot of consolidating for foodservice customers, which minimizes pickups and paperwork. This is an effect of the tighter labor market. We’re helping our customers solve a problem in an efficient manner.”

Foodservice distributors are buying more from local wholesalers because they don’t want to get stuck with direct product, explains Crafts. “So, they’re shopping us more for specialized and unique product,” he says. “They get the quantity they need without committing to a whole load. And, they get it in the condition they need for that day.”

ADDING VALUE AND CONVENIENCE

Boston’s demographics lend toward value-added products. “Boston is a dynamic area with many tastes and preferences, so we are proud to be able to provide organic and conventional tender leaf salads, blends, kits, juices and more,” says Mark DeMichaelis, president and chief executive of State Garden in Chelsea, MA. “We have a lot of highly educated, affluent shoppers who are looking for top quality, organic produce. Our Olivia’s Organics brand is one they know and trust that continues to innovate.”

At Big Y Foods in Springfield, MA, operating 76 supermarkets, customers are looking for more value-added and pre-cut produce options, according to Adam Hession, director of produce and floral.

“We see strong sales growth in both of these categories year over year,” he says. “These are two categories with more innovation than many other traditional produce categories, and we are always evaluating our assortment to meet our customer’s needs. We see this trend continuing.”

Continued constraints provide opportunity for Boston’s value-added providers. “Foodservice is using more value-added due to labor and cost,” says Burke. “We see more requests for pre-cut produce to reduce labor in kitchens.”

As far as specific item growth, Burke relates his business has been pretty straightforward. “We find chopped kale items slowly rising every year,” he says. “We do a lot of chopped lettuce and romaine. Shredded lettuce is also very popular.”

Consumers are also demanding crunch. “Consumers want lettuces and greens that have great texture along with great taste,” says DeMichaelis. “We’re seeing that play out in the varieties and blends hitting store shelves, as well as related products like salad kits, where additional ingredients can add crunch and variety. At State Garden, we’re focused on the crunch consumers crave and are pursuing a number of innovations and partnerships to deliver it.”

Quality in processed items is crucial. “The raw material we source must be top-notch to maintain quality as the finished product works through distribution,” says Rossetti of The Produce Connection. “We’re constantly looking to slice, dice, peel, chop and shred different, as well as exotic, items that add value to our offerings.”

A NECESSARY RELATIONSHIP

Boston’s wholesalers remain a crucial link in the supply chain. “Wholesalers serve a valuable purpose,” says Bonafede’s Fabio. “We provide crucial services for small or independent chains, mom and pop stores and foodservice purveyors. From product mix to special requests to breaking down product, we serve each customer’s specific need.”

Wholesalers, processors and suppliers play a pivotal role in today’s produce value chain, asserts DeMichaelis. “At State Garden, we devote a lot of time and resources to really understanding our consumers and the people ultimately enjoying our products,” he says. “Boston’s our hometown, so that means we have a really strong sense of what Boston shoppers want when they head to the produce aisle. That intel is incredibly valuable for our retail customers.”

The NEPC is an amazing staple in the food industry, stresses G. Piazza of Community Suffolk. “We provide so many different types of food and products to our community,” she says. “In just one warehouse, you can get 10 to 30 different items.”

Produce-specific wholesalers provide unmatched expertise. “One of the biggest advantages of the independent produce wholesaler is experience,” says Chelsea Morning’s Carr. “My father has over 40 years of experience in the business.”

Customers who choose to work with a produce distributor have an advantage over relying on broad-line distributors, asserts Rossetti. “The path raw ingredients take from the field to the kitchen or retail shelf tends to be much shorter than what a traditional broad-line distributor is faced with,” he says. “We are passionately focused on quality and service, offering consistency with our products.”

Community Suffolk serves all types of customers as advisers on product line. “Each salesman we have is an expert on their commodity and are very good at what they do,” says Steven Piazza.

Wainer expresses a deep-rooted passion for culinary excellence and customer service. “We work closely with our growers and producers to get their products to the end user in the most efficient, seamless way, while protecting shelf life and quality,” she says. “We partner with our customers to provide them solutions and inspiration so they can excel at their craft.”

HELP WITH LOGISTICS

Being in the middle lets wholesalers solve logistics challenges. “With cost of product and freight still an issue, wholesalers are in a position to help customers look for the best deal and the best logistics,” says Fabio.

Wholesalers are critical to support independent grocers, small chains and restaurants in the region, agrees Ferguson. “At Daily Table, due to our scale, we are not always able to connect directly with growers and bring in truckloads of product ourselves,” she says.

“Working with wholesalers who can organize shipping of multiple items from major growing regions, such as California, Florida or Canada really helps us focus on the last-mile distribution to our stores and service to our customers.”

G. Piazza points out supermarkets, big and small, rely on wholesalers like Community Suffolk because they can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables six days a week. “Being able to come into the market and buy one or two boxes of something is essential to keep their business running and maintain fresh quality produce daily,” she says.

INNOVATION AND INVESTMENT

Though traditional wholesaling is active in Boston, the community also sets its sights toward the future. “Our mindset is to do more of what we do well,” says Crafts at Coosemans. “There is opportunity to look at new items and revisit items we haven’t handled for a few years.”

Chelsea Morning Produce has been using an AI platform to process orders. “The process by which wholesalers take orders from customers can be very time-consuming and manual,” says Carr. “Orders are received by voicemail, email and sometimes even fax, and can include hundreds of items across dozens of pages. My sister and I would have to read or listen to each order, transcribe it and then manually log it into a piece of software.”

With Chelsea’s Choco AI system, each order is automatically turned into a digital order. “All we have to do is give a quick once-over to make sure everything looks good,” says Carr. “Now, we’re spending a few minutes instead of several hours per week on this part of the business. The AI also gets smarter over time so that if one of our regular customers calls in and says ‘give me what I had last time’ or ‘I’ll take the usual’ it understands. It also recognizes a variety of accents and speaking styles.”

Community Suffolk is entering its third year in a new off-market facility and continues to invest in upgraded refrigeration. “We are physically reconfiguring a new system for expediting order preparation and fulfillment,” says S. Piazza. “This helps expedite the loading of customer trucks and minimizes errors.”

State Garden operates a state-of-the-art facility with a rigorous food safety and quality program. “We are SQF Level Three certified and one of the only suppliers sending our product out for testing,” says DeMichaelis. “We examine every leaf that comes in. We wash and pack over a million pounds of baby lettuce and spinach every week.”