California Prunes gain visibility among culinary tastemakers shaping food trends
As consumers increasingly turn to food media, chefs, creators, and culinary influencers for inspiration, the California Prune Board (CPB) is expanding awareness of the crop among the tastemakers helping shape today’s food culture and consumer trends. Through a series of strategic media and culinary activations this spring, CPB engaged influential editors, journalists, chefs, and lifestyle creators, helping to further elevate and drive consumer discovery of the fruit within contemporary conversations around taste, wellness, and modern cooking.
“Each of these activations demonstrated that prunes perfectly answer the dual demand of today’s consumers, who refuse to compromise on choosing between delicious taste and exceptional health benefits,” said Kiaran Locy, Director of Brand & Industry Communications at the California Prune Board.

Highlighting California Prunes culinary benefits and uses for influential food media
Food media plays an increasingly important role in how consumers discover ingredients, recipes and nutrition trends. To influence those conversations, CPB invited national media editors to experience prunes from California firsthand through a culinary immersion at the iconic Institute of Culinary Education. The experience sparked fresh editorial angles, recipe inspiration and new perspectives on incorporating the fruit into everyday cooking.
The fruit was showcased across sweet and savory applications while reinforcing health benefits and California’s rich agricultural heritage. Editors were given firsthand insight into the fruit’s culinary potential and differentiation, inspiring future editorial perspectives and recipe applications that are already in motion.

Spotlighting California Prunes for culinary trendsetters at Cherry Bombe Jubilee NYC
To further elevate Golden State prunes in the influential food community, CPB connected with chefs, cookbook authors, and culinary creators at Cherry Bombe Jubilee NYC. The Cherry Bombe community’s influence extends from restaurant menus and cookbooks to social platforms and home kitchens, where the fruit stood out as a unique culinary ingredient.
Through an immersive “purple carpet” experience and “Prunes. For Life.” merchandise, CPB made California prunes top of mind by connecting creatively to cultural relevance in today’s food landscape. A chef-created dessert brought the fruit’s premium quality and culinary appeal to life, while sampling their unique flavors with influential culinary voices who are at the forefront of food trends and ingredient discovery.

Continuing the California Prunes story
These activations are a component of CPB’s broader strategy to elevate California prunes within the culinary and media landscape to reimagine how consumers experience and enjoy prunes. By building relationships with those who shape the food landscape, CPB continues expanding relevance and visibility across the recipes, menus, and conversations that influence consumers to choose California prunes.
*All images courtesy of California Prune Board.
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