GREENSBORO, NC – March 2, 2021 – Over the past year, The Fresh Market has continued to elevate their restaurant quality meals to accommodate gatherings of all sizes so guests can celebrate holidays with a delicious meal. As guests gear up for a second Easter celebration during the pandemic, The Fresh Market’s complete, ready-to-cook Easter meals are a convenient option for those who want to spend less time in the kitchen this year.

“Easter is among the three biggest holidays for family get-togethers and we want to continue catering to what our guests need this year, including smaller gatherings. That is why we introduced a new Easter meal for two in addition to our traditional Easter essentials like honey ham, rack of lamb, festive desserts and fresh-cut flowers,” said Dan Portnoy, Chief Merchandising Officer at The Fresh Market.

The specialty grocer also has a variety of new springtime offerings including seasonal coffees, cakes, pies, candies and flowers. Here is what guests can expect to find at The Fresh Market this season:

Complete Easter Meals This year, The Fresh Market is offering three complete, ready-to-cook Easter meal options in a variety of sizes.

• New Rack of Lamb Dinner, serves two ($39.99): includes 1.5 lb. of French Cut Rack of Lamb (Seasoned or Unseasoned), 1 lb. of Seasoned Asparagus, 1 lb. of Mascarpone Whipped Potatoes with Rosemary and two Mini Gourmet Fruit Tarts.
• Easter Ham Meal, serves four ($49.99, about $12.49 per person): includes a 3.5 lb. Boneless Sliced Ham, 1.5 lb. of Green Beans, 1.5 lb. of White Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes, 2 oz of Sliced Pineapple, a four count of King’s Hawaiian Original Dinner Rolls and an 18 oz Lemon Cream Bar Cake.
• Large Easter Ham Meal, serves eight to 10 guests ($79.99, about $7.99-$9.99 per person): includes a 9 lb. Bone-In Spiral Sliced Honey Ham, 3 lb. of Green Beans, 3 lb. of White Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes, 1 lb. of Sliced Pineapple, a 12 count of Golden Dinner Rolls and a 7-inch Deluxe White Cake.

The complete Easter meals can be ordered online at www.thefreshmarket.com through March 29th at 2PM EST and then picked up in-store on April 1st through the 4th.

Entrée Uncertainty: Ham or Lamb? A perennial favorite every Easter, The Fresh Market’s Bone-In Spiral Sliced Honey Ham is smoked over hickory hardwood and double-glazed with honey and brown sugar for a sweet and savory flavor. The specialty grocer’s wine expert recommends pairing ham with a Pinot Nori such as Belle Glos Las Alturas that contains abundant fruit flavors for an aromatic and rich wine.

Ham Carving 101 tip: Place ham flat side-down on a cutting board. Holding the shank bone, cut down the length of the bone to release slices. Repeat on all sides.

In February of last year, The Fresh Market put their double-glazed honey ham to the ultimate taste test with a “Honey Ham Challenge”. Guests were able to blind-taste two different ham offerings – one from The Fresh Market and another from one of the most popular holiday ham take-out restaurants to see which one reigns superior in terms of quality, taste and price. Eight out of 10 guests who participated in the challenge preferred The Fresh Market’s honey ham confirming that it cannot be beat in terms of value for the quality.

If you are looking for a ham alternative this year, The Fresh Market has a variety of tender, flavorful lamb options including Bone-in or Boneless Leg of Lamb, Rack of Lamb and a new Lamb Crown Roast. Try pairing lamb with Honig Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a full-bodied and balanced red wine that is rich with flavors of red plum, blackberry, toasty oak and spice.

Tried and True Recipe: Roasted Lamb with Cherry Tart Glaze

Best of Easter Brunch The Fresh Market also has an Ultimate Brunch Meal that serves four. The brunch comes with a quiche Lorraine, Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon, a lox tray, plain bagels, whipped cream cheese, a mixed berries tub and The Fresh Market’s fresh squeezed orange juice for $49.99. Guests can complete the spread with a bottle of Mumm Napa Brut Rosé.

Other brunch favorites at The Fresh Market include traditional Hot Cross Buns, Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, Carrot Cake Biscotti and The Fresh Market coffee in seasonal flavors like Wild Blueberry Pie, Carrot Spice Cake and Spring Blend.

Springtime Sweets and Easter Basket Fillers The Fresh Market curates their selection of desserts from specialty bakeries throughout North America, including these spring-inspired sweets, cakes and Easter goodies:

• Celebration Cake: New to The Fresh Market this spring, this 8-inch cake contains three layers of vanilla cake, rich buttercream frosting, and pastel confetti sprinkles to top it off.
• Lemon Mousse Cake: Also new this spring, this cake features zesty lemon mousse, tangy scratch-made lemon curd and fluffy vanilla cake for a supremely citrus confection. The cake is topped off with white chocolate curls for a finishing touch.

The candy section is filled with bright, pastel-colored candies and cookies to add a festive touch to Easter baskets such as mini gummi butterflies, speckled chocolate almonds, nonpareils, yogurt or chocolate covered pretzels, and hand-decorated sugar cookies in the shapes of bunnies and eggs. To customize an Easter basket, guests can stop by the floral and gift department at their local store.

Fresh-Picked Florals The Fresh Market’s merchandisers are always seeking out the very best for their category including in the floral department. Jo Ann Whitley is the Director of Floral at The Fresh Market and has been in the industry for 30 years making her an expert in curating the finest flowers and plants. A few of her springtime favorites that you can find at The Fresh Market include Easter Lilies, Potted Hyacinths and Fresh-Cut Daffodils and Tulips.

If you are enjoying Easter Lilies as the centerpiece for your Easter feast, Jo Ann recommends removing the pollen with a tissue before placing them on your table. If the pollen does find its way to your table linen, gently brush it off with a pipe cleaner or dab with sticky tape. For tulips, she recommends trimming the steams prior to placing them in a vase with cold water. They will naturally bend towards sunlight, so rotate your vase daily to keep the stems upright.

For more tips, inspiration, and recipes on how to make the most of Easter this year, visit https://www.thefreshmarket.com/easter and check out The Fresh Market’s March edition of their new monthly magazine here.