Due to the coronavirus lockdowns all over the globe, but especially in Europe and North America, home-baking and snacking enjoyed a surge in popularity this year as home-bound people took to their mixing bowls and ovens like never before.
In the UK, according to The Grocer, "Dried fruit supplier Whitworths has reported a surge in sales during the coronavirus outbreak as customers flocked to its health-focused products and indulged in home baking. The ingredients and healthy snacking supplier has seen sales jump 10% during the coronavirus period due to a significant spike in demand through UK supermarkets in the first half of 2020."
According to this article in Produce Business, dried fruit and nuts enjoyed growth in the double digits in the USA over the course of 2020.
As we approach the end of the year, all of that home-baking enthusiasm is building to a crescendo turbo-boosted by the number of holidays that are clustered together between November and January, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hannukah and Christmas. Then there's all the heath eating that folk feel they should do as the New Year kicks off, when they look to work off the excesses of what may have been somewhat over-indulgent feasting in prior months.
The beauty of dried fruit and nuts is that they can be a delicious part of sweet treats while forming an essential part of healthy ones.
Medjool dates are perfectly placed to play an integral part of both diets – as mentioned in the article above: A new product ideal to merchandise as an indulgent holiday snack or gift is Bard Valley Natural Delights Dark Chocolate Covered Medjool Dates with Sea Salt. The premium product, sold in eight-count and 16-count packs, started shipping in September.
"Ninety-one percent of people plan to gift chocolate for the holidays," says David Baxter, brand manager for the Yuma, AZ-headquartered company. "Our new chocolate-covered dates come in a premium box with a die-cut window to showcase the product. Inside, each date is individually placed in an inner tray akin to a gift box of candy. We offer a shipper that holds 30 units and comes with a Christmas-themed header card."
AnWhen it comes to healthy eating, Medjool dates take pride of place was they're are heart-healthy, vegan-friendly, gluten-free and packed with fibre with no added sugar.
TradeScope is currently working furiously connecting dried fruit and nut buyers in Europe with producers in North America and we're finding that Medjool dates in particular are enjoying tremendous interest.
If you're a dried fruit and nut producer in North America, please contact Ted Horton for more information about how to sell your product into the UK and Europe – and if you're a UK or European buyer, waste no time getting hold of Ted; he'll connect the dots for both of you.