Ralphs Debuts Local Artichoke Varieties

Artichoke display in Ralphs' store. (Photo by Frieda’s creative director Marliese Ward)

COMPTON, Calif. — Ralphs Grocery Co. here, a Kroger subsidiary, partnered with specialty produce company, Frieda’s, Inc., Los Alamitos, Calif., to introduce three new, locally grown artichoke varieties, all of them sporting hues of purple or burgundy.

During the promotional period, participating Ralphs locations in the Los Angeles area built large displays that showed off all three new varieties — Sangria, Fiore Viola, and Fiesole — together. 

Signage, created by Frieda’s, pointed out that the varieties were developed and grown locally, a Frieda’s spokeswoman told SN. The two larger varieties — Sangria and Fiore Viola — retailed for two for $5, and a one-pound bag of Fiesole artichokes retailed for $3.99.

“The artichokes’ quality and color were great! They were some of the best artichokes I have ever tasted,” said Dan De La Rosa, who works in produce and floral merchandising at 252-unit Ralphs, in a statement released by Frieda’s. “Local and fresh from the field, the vibrant colors of the …artichokes helped create the ‘wow factor’ needed to gain consumer interest…,” De La Rosa added.

Promotional events surrounding the artichokes’ debut were dubbed “The First Annual Local Artichoke Festival,” by Frieda’s, and also included Southern California-based Maria’s Italian Kitchen Restaurants.