Antoni Porowski and Fresh Express dish on salad kits
The humble salad is having a moment.
Once an afterthought, leafy greens are reclaiming their rightful place as a main dish. Thank salad kits—simple and nutritious, the category has quickly become a top contender in the produce department as consumers crave convenience.
Fresh Express is one brand reinventing ready-to-eat salads with offbeat flavours like Creamy Mushroom Caesar and Zesty Hawaiian Crunch. And in time for the CPMA Convention and Trade Show in Toronto last week, the brand revealed Canadian author, chef and former Queer Eye host Antoni Porowski as its newest ambassador (or “Fresh Expressionist”).
READ: Salad kits are becoming a powerhouse in the produce department
“What I love about the collaboration with Fresh Express is that everything's basically been decided for you in the best way possible. But that said, you can also customize it—you can choose your own adventure and make it as complicated or as simple as you want,” Porowski says, suggesting brown butter-toasted croutons or roasted chickpeas as tasty additions. “Something that I learned early on working on Queer Eye is to meet people where they're at and not assume what they know or, more importantly, what they don't know about cooking or food…. There's an inclusivity aspect to [salad kits] that's interesting to me, because that's the type of the thing that I gravitate towards.”
Canadian Grocer recently caught up with Porowski and Fabian Pereira, vice president of marketing and innovation at Fresh Express, to talk salad kit trends.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Salads used to be relegated to the side plate. Why is that changing?
Antoni Porowski: “I’m going to throw a Maya Angelou quote at you—not her intention, but ‘When we know better, we do better.’ When I was growing up and we would go to a restaurant, the focus was protein and carbs and salad was an afterthought… As I hit my 40s, I want to be able to take care of myself. I want to make choices that are good for me, that make me feel good and that taste good. We’re learning that salads can check all of those boxes and be the entire meal.”
What textures and flavors are trending in salad kits?
Fabian Pereira: “We’re seeing strong momentum around layered eating experiences—products that deliver contrast in texture and depth in flavor. That includes elevated classics like more complex Caesars, as well as subtle global influences whether Mediterranean or Asian-inspired profiles. At Fresh Express, we closely track these shifts and translate them into products that feel both familiar and new, so consumers can explore without stepping too far outside their comfort zone.”
AP: “What's so nice about salad kits is that you do have the opportunity to explore different cultures—and you don't have to lean heavily into it. You can just take one element and play around with it… salads are the perfect vehicle for that.”
What pairings would you suggest to take a salad kit to the next level?
AP: “I’m big on using a certain ingredient multiple times in a recipe. With the Fresh Express Creamy Mushroom Caesar, for example, you could either dehydrate or slow roast mushrooms with a little bit of maple syrup and pepper—you could add liquid smoke if you want—to make mushroom ‘bacon.’ Now you have the through-line of mushrooms in the dressing and as an active element in the salad that provides texture and loads of umami.
“When you start thinking about it, you realize the possibilities are endless. Look at the ingredients that are on the Fresh Express kit and think of how you can utilize or repeat them in interesting and different ways.”
READ: Five ways to make your produce department more appealing
How are salads meeting consumers’ desire for convenience, nutrition and taste?
AP: “They do sit at that intersection. I think there are multiple ways to look at it. Some people are a little more ingredient driven, other people are visual where it's like, ‘Okay, I've had a salad for the past four days. I’m tired. I want to switch it up.’ Or they can approach it more from a functional ingredient standpoint. And then the other one is the method—figuring out how to treat these ingredients differently. Whatever it is that your personal needs are, you can lean into that because you have this wonderful blanket recipe that's been decided for you if you want to shut your brain off. And if you're feeling a little creative, you can go that route as well. And you don't have to decide ahead of time—you can decide once you're ready.”
What’s next for fresh, ready-to-eat meals in retail?
FB: “The future is about moving from products to solutions. Consumers are looking for something that answers ‘What’s for dinner?’ quickly, but still delivers on quality and experience. That’s where we see the most growth with products that offer a strong foundation, but still allow for flexibility and personalization. Fresh Express is focused on making that easier for both consumers and retailers by delivering meal solutions that are fast, fresh, and relevant to how people eat today.”
