Lucky for you, we’re on the extreme end of fandom. And while we could rave about the new plant-based products or black garlic seasoning over some three-buck Chuck for hours, we’re here today to digest the latest podcast episode: “11 (or more!) Trader Joe’s Fail-Safe Freezer Finds for Dinner (and More!).” In the 34th episode, Tara Miller, the marketing director for Trader Joe’s, and Matt Sloan, the vice president of product marketing, dissect one of the most sacred spaces inside the store: the frozen food aisle. They start by interviewing Mary-Ann, category manager for frozen at TJ’s, about what big changes she has noticed in product sales trends the last year. “We definitely saw trends that we were not expecting,” she says. “Overall frozen has seen great growth. Appetizers, huge growth there. More than just double digit growth.” What exactly is selling, you ask? Everything, especially things you can cook in your air fryer. “Everything from items we’ve carried every day for many years, like the Mac and Cheese Bites, our Samosas, and new favorites like the Buffalo Chicken Poppers,” she reveals. “Breakfast items…our croissants. Our Chocolate and our Almond Croissants, especially. You have to take some time and prep. You have to think about it the night before and in order to let that croissant rise and bake it the next day. And people have time during the week now. Many of us are working from home—and why not just throw some croissants in the oven in the morning?” She has a point. Ready to stock up yourself? Here are the most favorited Trader Joe’s frozen foods by Mary-Ann and other crew members. Spolier alert: There’s a trend, and it involves Mandarin Orange Chicken. —Rollyn, Crew Member —Alex, Crew Member —Nikki, Crew Member from Trader Joe’s Customer Relations Department —Mary-Ann, Category Manager for Frozen I [also] eat probably one Fruit Frenzy Bar every night." —Jon Bassalone, President of Trader Joe’s —Ben, Crew Member
