Generic fresh-cut salad

A new promotional campaign has been launched to promote Spanish salads to British shoppers during their main winter season.

The initiative has been set up by Spanish grower Natural & Salads, sister company of Uk fresh produce importer Das International, and focuses on whole head products including, celery, iceberg lettuce, cos and romaine lettuce, and little gem.

It aims to raise awareness through the consumer press, highlighting the season for Spanish salads and providing simple ideas for using salads in everyday winter cooking – hot and cold.

UK celebrity chef Johnnie Mountain of the BBC’s Great British Menu has created recipes for the campaign, which demonstrate how to incorporate iceberg, romaine and celery into three winter dishes.

In a statement, Das International’s Simon Allgood said: “Our research into British shoppers has given us specific goals for Spanish salads – products such as romaine lettuce and little gem, for example, currently over index among more upmarket shoppers, and there is an opportunity to encourage more young adults and young families to purchase, and increase frequency for existing users.

“In the mature iceberg category, we want more upmarket shoppers, who are currently buying less, to revaluate the product by drawing attention to its taste and quality, and to provide inspiration for using it during the winter and beyond.

“The Winter Salads campaign sets out to address the opportunities in the category. It is about driving awareness amongst shoppers of key winter lines, and highlighting availability and usage while they are on the shelves.”

Natural & Salads recently set up a business division, Natural Salads Direct, to handle direct supplies from grower to its customers. The company said the new unit was established to “ensure clarity” of the company’s direct sourcing strategy, and would be supported by Das International where necessary.