Original Article Here by Tim Linden

Gold Coast Packing Inc., a close to four-decades-old California grower-shipper that has specialized in the foodservice sector, is expanding its product line to include more retail offerings.

Marketing Manager Katie Boncich was quick to note that the firm is not altering its focus, just diversifying and adding to its product line. She explained that the firm has a great innovation team and its new efforts are designed to broaden the marketing opportunities for its core products. She characterized the new retail packs in developments as “staying on trend” with the items it already produces.

The best example is the riced cauliflower grown and packed by the firm. Called Gold Coast Caulifornia Snow, the product was developed more than a year ago and has been marketed to foodservice operators around the country. Boncich said the use of riced cauliflower allows chefs to tout some of the new trends, including gluten-free and veggie-centric, on their menus.

Gold Coast is now taking that same product, putting it in a retail pack and inviting consumers to imitate what they are ordering in some of the country’s finest restaurants.

The company is also working on another retail pack that offers a garden blend of riced cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Boncich said those three items, along with spinach, kale, cilantro and brussels sprouts, make up the core of the company’s product line, though it grows other items as well.

She characterizes Gold Coast as a “smaller grower-shipper” that relies on customer service for its advantage in the marketplace. “We are known for doing specialty cuts and packs.”

For example, she said the company provides the Taco Bell restaurants with all of its cilantro throughout the country, delivered to the exact specifications that the giant fast food chain demands. Boncich said they will do the same for any other customer, creating packs and cuts that fill the buyer’s needs.

Several years ago, Gold Coast Packing and another Santa Maria grower-shipper, Babe Farms, co-built and co-own Fresh Venture Foods, a local vegetable processing plant. It is in this facility that Gold Coast can create the special packs and cuts for its customers. She said the co-ownership also affords buyers one-stop pick-up when in the Santa Maria area.

Along with the company’s expanding product line is coming increased visibility to its customers and potential customers. Gold Coast has redesigned its website, hired a new social media-focused marketing coordinator in Crystal Chavez, and has launched a new monthly blog. Titled “The Produce Navigator,” the blog is designed to keep its customers up to date with regard to the firm’s expanding product line and new packs. In addition, Boncich said there will be a reach out to consumers as well as chefs with new recipes and product information. The goal of course is to get both home cooks and professional chefs to use more veggies. The first blog entry was published in March and the April posting promises a recipe featuring its trademarked Caulifornia Snow.

Gold Coast is a vertically integrated company that grows about 35 percent of its production on its own ground in Santa Maria. It also contracts with a handful of other growers in both Santa Maria and in the California and Arizona deserts for winter production. Boncich said that currently about 70 percent of its production goes to the foodservice sector. Much of its retail activity has been in private labels but the new expansion will tout the Gold Coast label. Boncich explained that rising costs, including labor, requires a successful firm to continue to grow and expand. She likened the firm’s several sectors to a pie, with retail being one portion of the pie. “We need to add to the pie, grow that portion and diversify that product line.”

Cauliflower… the great white cruciferous vegetable…the culinary chameleon…. one of the healthiest foods on earth. Cauliflower is loaded with antioxidants and phytochemicals (you know, those plant chemicals that have protective and disease preventing properties). Studies have found that it helps ward off diseases like heart disease and cancer. So, eat up because not only does it taste good but it’s oh so good for you.

Back in the day, the only way most of us thought to serve cauliflower, was steamed or plain ol’ raw. Over the last few years the way we eat and incorporate Cauliflower into our diets has drastically changed. Today, meatless meals and finding carb alternatives is the norm. We have become innovative with our vegetables but especially with Cauliflower. Consumers now chop it up and make it into tots, puree it into a creamy mash, or serve it up as a rice replacement. The creative cooking craze is allowing everyone to not only enjoy the vegetable, but helping us find new ways to substitute Cauliflower into our favorite dishes, and making it the most popular vegetable around.

Here at Gold Coast we grow cauliflower year-round. All of our Cauliflower is washed and ready to use, available in various formats including florets and stalks. But today we are highlighting our “riced” cauliflower, our trademarked and award winning Caulifornia Snow™. Gold Coast snow is a unique, pre-washed, California grown, specialty cut that comes packaged in a 1lb.bag, and ready for your culinary creations.

One of the first ideas many had for using “riced” cauliflower, was as a pizza crust/base. A no bread pizza?!? GENIUS! We’ll try anything that makes one of our favorite meals healthier but still super tasty. Which brings us to today’s recipe. What other classic dish is made with bread and loaded with cheese… you guessed it, grilled cheese! We are axing the bread, making our own out of our Caulifornia Snow™, and smothering it with some white cheddar! HELLO YUMMINESS! So, check out the step-by-step video (to get your mouth watering) and then whip up your very own sandwich at home with the recipe that’s included below. We hope you enjoy the video, and thanks for traveling with us to Grilled Cheese Lovers Island… we mean “New and Improved” Grilled Cheese Lovers Island.

Recipe Here: Cauliflower Grilled Cheese

Welcome to our first Produce Navigator post. Thanks for being here, we’re glad you joined us on this journey. Gold Coast Packing has been providing US grown produce since 1978. We strive to continuously provide fresh, innovative, value added products. As a grower, shipper and processor we make sure our customers receive the best quality products available. Our goal is to stay ahead of the consumer by creating new and healthy alternatives like our Caulifornia Snow™.

California has finally received some much, needed rain. We have seen more showers in February then we have in what feels like ages. It has flooded some areas, filled reservoirs and replenished our water supply! Finally, after four years, California is nearly out of the drought. As our fields dry from the recent rains, we will see how the abundance of precipitation will affect our crops. We’ll keep you posted on any harvesting setbacks.

Our Marketing and Product Development Teams have been busy working on several new and exciting projects. This blog is just one of our latest endeavors. This month we are partnering up with a professional video production company, and shooting videos for some upcoming product launches. In April, you’ll get the first look at a step by step recipe tutorial featuring our Caulifornia Snow™. You won’t want to miss this tasty dish!

We hope you enjoyed our first post. We want to keep you all engaged and in the loop. Stick around, there will be new adventures you will get to join us on. We want to hear from you too. What do you want to see? What new products should we create? Let the Produce Navigator take you there.

Gold Coast Packing, Inc. was a key sponsor at the Fresh Produce and Floral Council Membership Luncheon on February 8th in Cerritos, California. The event featured speaker Neil Saavedra, host of “The Fork Report” on KFI radio in Los Angeles. Saavedra discussed food trends he believes will continue to grow in the next few years, including a future where produce will be the center of the plate, and meat will be second. The event also introduced Connie Stukenberg of the California Avocado Commission as the new FPFC chairwoman for 2017.