Fresh from the freezer: Dorot Gardens’ rebrand highlights fresh taste of frozen herbs

The company’s pre-portioned frozen herbs and garlic are “harvested at peak freshness” and flash-frozen to lock in flavor and nutrients, Laura Morris, marketing director, Dorot Gardens explained to FoodNavigator-USA.

Since 1992, the company has provided “accessible ways to spice [consumers’] food and bring fresh flavors,” Morris said.

The brand’s mission is in its tagline, “Pop. Drop. Done.” Morris explained. She added that the rebrand — the company’s first since 2017 — features more prominent flavor callouts and color-coding flavors to help consumers easily identify ingredients.

The packaging features callouts for no preservatives, gluten-free and vegan, which also provides an additional health halo​ for consumers while countering misconceptions around nutrition in frozen foods, Morris said.

Along with the convenience of the pre-portioned ingredients, the rebrand highlights that frozen can taste fresh, she said.

Morris continued, “There has been a connotation for years, and it is slowly getting broken, that frozen is full of preservatives.”

However, frozen can taste better than fresh, Morris argued. For Dorot Gardens, the flash frozen format is ideal for the delicate nature of herbs while delivering a two-year shelf-life, she added.

The flash freezing process locks the flavor, aroma and nutrients of herbs and garlic, allowing consumers to pop out a cube into a hot or cold dish and “have a fresh flavored meal without [spending] time to peel, chop and shop for these fresh herbs and vegetables,” Morris explained.

Strategic inventory management keeps costs steady​

A majority of Dorot Gardens’ products are grown in Israel and imported into the US to its warehouses on both coasts, which helps keep down costs so the company has not had to raise prices in two years, Morris said.

Due to “different economic climates” and shipping issues, the company stocks its warehouses with three to four-months of inventory, compared to only two-months of stock in the past, Morris explained.

This strategy requires consistent collaboration with the company’s retail and distribution partners “to make sure we have correct forecasts, as well as an understanding of different sales incentives,” she added.

Keeping a well-stocked warehouse benefited the company during the COVID-19 pandemic as it did not experience shortages, which also helped strengthen brand awareness during a time when consumers were visiting grocery stores less frequently, Morris said.

Getting the word out​

While most consumers do not associate fresh herbs with the frozen department​, Dorot Gardens’ focus is on conveying messaging in stores like Alberstons, HEB and select Kroger stores and their banners, among others, and through advertising across cable and YouTube.

The company works with its distributor and retail partners to showcase demos and attend tradeshows to educate buyers on the benefits of its portfolio. Further, the long shelf-life is a significant value proposition for retailers, whereas fresh produce requires more resources like consistent water spraying while running the risk of more spoilage.

“We have been able to work with retailers to explain to them that while yes, it is … an innovative idea … but in the long run it is actually going to cost [less], save you some labor,” she said, adding that even the size of the packaging allows for Dorot Gardens to be placed next to each other without replacing other essential frozen items.

“You can easily put two of our products next to one another and be in the same size as a bag of peas. This is bringing another ring to your store. It is not replacing the bag of peas. It is in addition to that bag of peas,” she added.