Writer Elaine Springer
Local beets traveling afar
Until fairly recently, I only knew beets of the purple variety, and while I have advanced from purchasing canned beets to cooking them myself, they are almost always boiled and sliced. If I feel particularly savvy, I’ll drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar on them and throw them in a roasting pan.
But if you’re short on cooking time and not a fan of the inky roots, there’s a new company in the Finger Lakes region, Love Beets, which might open things up for you. Love Beets prepares local beets in creative ways and sells them regionally. You can even eat them right out of the packet.
Love Beets is a labor of love from husband-and-wife team Guy and Katherine Shropshire, originally salad vegetable growers and beet factory owners in England. The Shropshires brought their marinated baby beets to the United States after showcasing them at the 2010 New York Fancy Food Show and receiving rave reviews.
By 2016 they had developed their product, built their brand, expanded their reach and invested in a state-of-the-art facility in Rochester.
“We decided we wanted to get everyone together and be closer to the beets,” says Love Beets Community and Content Manager Erin Gort.
Rochester was the prime spot because of the area’s beet abundance; 65% of their beets are grown in New York State.
Just as growing the perfect grape requires the right climate and soil conditions, such is true for beets. Locating to the Rochester area also gave Love Beets access to over 130 million customers via distribution points less than 24 hours from home.
The growth of Love Beets is attributed to a fresh, quality product that is able to be popularized by health influencers, combined with the rise in popularity of super foods, of which the beet is one.
“The influencers have had a great impact because they have exposed a really great vegetable,” Gort says. “We have a modern, fresh take on beets with interesting flavors.”
The product lineup includes baby beets, shredded beets, salsa, juice and beet powder. They can be ordered online, and are also in almost every major retail grocery store including Target, Whole Foods, Wegmans and ALDI. Find a location near you with their store locator on lovebeets.com.
Elaine Springer, a Trumansburg resident, loves growing her own food and dreams of living off her own land.
