By Antonella Ciancio
Kroger, a leading U.S. grocery chain and an importer of Italian food also for its own labels, is renewing for the second year its “Taste of Italy” campaign which showcases authentic recipes from Italy and helps consumers navigate its aisles to buy regional ingredients and inspire genuine Italian meals.
The two-week campaign “Savor World Flavor: Taste of Italy”, which starts from September 14, will invite customers to “eat like an Italian”.
The result of a trip of a Kroger team to Italy, customers will find foods sourced directly from Italian producers such as dry-cured prosciutto and salami, aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and olives.
CRACKING THE ITALIAN CODE – Taste of Italy will also feature fresh pasta, 100% Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, tomato sauces, tiramisu and wines including Prosecco, Chianti from Tuscany and Pinot Grigio from the Trentino-Alto Adige region, Kroger said. “Crack the Parm” events, with specialists showing how to “crack” the king of cheeses will also take place at some stores, in line with a tradition that also takes place at other grocery chains like Whole Foods.
“The popularity of last year’s Taste of Italy event demonstrated to us that another visit to the flavor-rich country in search of new items and recipes would be enthusiastically received by our customers. We’re excited to expand our commitment to being a destination for creative meal ideas and international fare,” said Mike Donnelly, Kroger’s executive vice president of merchandising.
HEMISFARES OFFER GROWS – Kroger, which operates 2,778 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia, said it is also expanding its internationally-inspired offerings under its own exclusive brand “HemisFares”, which debuted with the first Taste of Italy last year. In September, HemisFares will introduce Italian favorites including antipasti jars, flavored oils, gelato, and new pastas and pasta sauces, Kroger said.
Kroger will host a national Twitter party at 3 p.m. EDT (9pm in Italy) on Saturday, September 17, for customers to learn more about Italian cuisine and culture, under the @kroger handle on Twitter.
More details, recipes and easy-to-use meal planning are available on www.italianworldflavor.com.
