Doc’s 1st to ‘Blend’ Mushrooms in 3 Departments

Doc's Food Stores, a third-generation, family-owned retailer operating nine Country Mart, JB’s Market and Apple Market locations, has introduced the Mushroom Council’s successful Blend model in all of its deli, meat and produce departments.

The Blend is a method of mixing finely diced mushrooms into such proteins as beef, turkey, lamb or pork to prepare hamburgers, meat loaf and meatballs, enabling consumers to enjoy their favorite foods while reducing their fat, sodium, cholesterol and calorie intake, and adding a portion of produce. Tulsa, Okla.-based Doc’s is cross-promoting The Blend across the three departments for maximum visibility.

“We are excited that Doc’s is encouraging their customers to add extra servings of vegetables to their meal by incorporating The Blend,” said Bart Minor, president of the San Jose, Calif.-based Mushroom Council. “While many retailers have launched The Blend in their stores, Doc’s is the first retailer to roll out The Blend in [the deli, meat and produce] departments [all] at once.”

To help Doc’s promote its Mushroom Mania promotion, which launches June 1 and runs through the end of the month, the council provided the independent retailer with various recipe cards to hand out to customers, created posters and an infographic to help shoppers understand the benefits of The Blend, and developed QR code labels to direct consumers to the council’s website, where they can find additional information on the cooking method.

Further, Doc’s will sample Blended Turkey Tacos and Blended Chili throughout the month, and promote Blended Meatloaf in the deli as a “Meal of the Week.” The Blend products will remain an ongoing part of the stores offerings, a Mushroom Council  spokeswoman told Progressive Grocer.