SHORT WEEK, BIG ORDERS

Weekly Market Report for February 18th

Author

Courtney Coish
February 18, 2025

After a long weekend of Olympic-level snow shoveling, we're back with this week's Market Report—and one favour: can you shovel a bit more? Keeping your stairs and entrances clear helps our drivers stay safe and ensures your deliveries stay on schedule. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s dive in to your weekly Market Report, packed with the highs and lows of the past week, the latest insights, and what's on the horizon.

Oh, and don’t forget to get your orders in…

❤️ Forced Rhubarb: Arriving soon! (tomorrow 🤞)

 📈 What’s Up?: We’re seeing price increases in fennel, Chinese eggplant, radicchio Castelfranco, heirloom tomatoes & bell peppers this week.

📉 What’s Down?: Prices on red and green grapes, baby eggplant, jumbo honeydew, grapefruit & asparagus are all trending down this week.

🍄Wild & Cultivated: We’re starting up our Wild & Cultivated offering again - keep an eye out for some cool mushroom varieties.

🥖Rosemary Focaccia: It’s back. We’re picking up a fresh order today!

🍓Strawberries: Valentine’s demand was sky high last week! No availability issues going forward.

🫐Acai Purée Delay (Oy Vey): Due to a truck delay at the border, our shipment was pushed back several days - expected to arrive today!

🌶️ Picks of the Week: Jimmy Nardellos & Chunk Plant-Based Steaks!

Market Recap: What's Up, What's Down

📈Price Increases📈

These items are experiencing a price surge this week:

  • FENNEL - We're noticing supply gaps emerging from Mexico and Arizona resulting in tighter supply and rising prices.

  • CHINESE EGGPLANT - Due to challenging growing conditions in Mexico, the current eggplant harvest is yielding fewer premium-quality crops. As a result of tighter supply, prices have increased.

  • RADICCHIO CASTELFRANCO - Canadian demand has surged this season, driving prices higher.

  • HEIRLOOM TOMATOES -Greenhouse yields for heirloom tomatoes are temporarily lower, but we expect conditions to stabilize within a week.

  • BELL PEPPERS - Prices for all colours are on the rise, with a notable drop in high-quality availability.

📉Price Drops📉

These items have dropped in price this week:

  • RED & GREEN GRAPES - High availability from multiple growing regions are driving prices down for red & green grapes.

  • BABY EGGPLANT - Prices have dropped as increased imports from Spain have boosted supply, leading to more competitive market pricing.

  • JUMBO HONEYDEW - We've transitioned to new growing regions, and as a result, jumbo honeydew prices are coming back down to normal levels.

  • GRAPEFRUIT - Abundant supply from various growing regions are driving prices down.

  • ASPARAGUS - High availability across diverse growing regions is resulting in more competitive pricing.

🍄 Wild & Cultivated🍄 

We’ve activated our Wild & Cultivated section and are excited to start getting our hands on some new wild and cultivated mushrooms. Yellowfoot, chestnut, morels, lion’s mane, porcini, maitake - keep an eye on our wild and cultivated section throughout the week for new additions of unique wild-foraged varieties.

🚩Red Flags🚩: Last Week's Supply & Quality Recap

  • Sprout Micro Mix (03291) - Our primary grower experienced significant yield losses, leading to a temporary microgreens shortage. We provided substitutes wherever possible, but the reduced yields means availability is limited.

  • Strawberries (03346) - The surge in Valentine's Day demand was even more than expected resulting in some shorts last week, but there are no concerns with strawberry supply.

  • Orange (03726) & Grapefruit Juice 1L (04304) - Delivery delays from the snow storms last week have been resolved—these juices are now back in stock!

  • Rosemary Focaccia (08207) - The distribution warehouse has experienced a series of rolling delays, which has impacted the arrival time of our rosemary focaccia. Pickup is scheduled for today!

  • Acai Frozen Purée (08609) - Due to a truck delay at the border, our shipment was pushed back several days, causing a temporary shortage last week. We expect the delivery to arrive today and appreciate your understanding.

🌟 New & Newsworthy 🌟 

Our first order of forced rhubarb is expected to arrive tomorrow from Holland!

What makes forced rhubarb so special? It’s all in the growing process…

The journey of forced rhubarb begins with mature, field-grown plants. After years of soaking up the sun and nutrients, their roots are harvested and transferred to a dark, heated environment to grow in the absence of sunlight.

In complete darkness, forced rhubarb is cultivated without sunlight, so no chlorophyll develops—eliminating the sour, bitter taste of field rhubarb. Instead, the heat compels the roots to channel their stored energy into producing tender, sweeter stalks.

The result is a milder, sweeter, and more tender rhubarb than its field-grown counterparts. Without chlorophyll, the stalks develop a striking red-pink hue, making forced rhubarb a favourite in baking and culinary creations where its vibrant colour can truly shine.

🌶️ Produce Pick of The Week 🌶️ 

Jimmy Nardello Peppers (code 05568)

Jimmy Nardello peppers are a sweet, Italian heirloom variety with long, thin, and beautifully rippled skins. Renowned for their delicate flavour, they add an authentic Italian touch to pasta, pizza, and egg dishes!

Appearance: Deep red, ~6-12 inches long, rippled skin

Flavour: Sweet & Fruity

Culinary Uses: Frying, grilling, pickling, drying, eating fresh

Farm: Ark Foods (USA)

🥩 Pantry Pick of The Week 🥩 

Chunk Plant-Based Steak

Easily replacing beef in any recipe, Chunk is extremely versatile - it can be pan-seared, basted, grilled, smoked, stewed, braised, barbecued, or baked. It allows chefs a much greater level of creativity, and requires no additional training!


Steakhouse Cut (code 10909): The steak that started it all, the classic 4oz Chunk Steak. Tender, juicy and delivers a rich, beefy bite every time.

Chunk Brisket (code 10910): Juicy & ready for anything, this 10oz slab brings bold flavour and a meaty bite to every dish. Try it baked, smoked, or grilled.

Chunk Shred Steak (code 10911): Crispy, juicy and incredibly versatile, Chunk’s pulled plant-based meat is perfect in everything from tacos, to sandwiches to pasta.

If you have any questions about anything you see, feel free to reach out to your designated sales rep or our awesome customer service team at [email protected]. We're here to help!

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