Now at The Fresh Market: Afia Mediterranean Falafel Bowls
Afia has announced today new distribution of its newly launched line of Mediterranean Falafel Bowls at The Fresh Market’s 161 stores, with 70% of stores carrying all four flavors.
“The Fresh Market is a key retailer that reaches consumers throughout the Southeast and Midwest, and their focus on making everyday eating something extraordinary is a perfect match for our new meals,” said Afia Founder and President Farrah Moussallati Sibai.
Afia’s new Mediterranean Falafel Bowls are 10-ounce microwaveable grain bowls inspired by traditional Eastern Mediterranean meals loved by the Sibai family, packaged in a purely beautiful container designed with reusability and recyclability at the core. Each meal is certified Non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, preservative free, and ready in about 4 minutes.
“One of our top goals when making these meals was to show shoppers that these unique global flavors made with clean, high-quality ingredients are an option for the frozen aisle that you can feel good about before, during, and after a meal,” said Moussallati Sibai.
The Fresh Market will carry two flavors, the Roasted Peppers & Tomato Mediterranean Falafel Bowl and Zesty Artichoke & Quinoa Mediterranean Falafel Bowl at all 161 The Fresh Market locations. The Roasted Peppers & Tomato bowl is a recent NEXTY finalist for Best New Frozen Product, is inspired by Burghul bi Banadoura and features pearl onions, roasted peppers and zucchini as well as 3 Afia Traditional Falafel over rice infused with a rich za’atar tomato sauce. The Zesty Artichoke & Quinoa Bowl is directly based on our founder’s grandmother’s recipe for “Riz bi Fool,” which means rice with beans, featuring bright green fava beans and whole pieces of artichoke and Afia falafel in a zesty lemon and dill dressing over rice.
The Sweet Potato & Kale Mediterranean Falafel Bowl will be found at 148 locations and offers shoppers a sweet and smokey combination of flavors popular around the Arabian peninsula and North Africa, with sweet potatoes, kale, corn, chickpeas, raisins, and dried cranberries with falafel over characteristically yellow turmeric rice tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. The Crispy Onion & Lentil Mediterranean Falafel Bowl will be found at 116 locations, and is a plant-forward take on the classic dish of mujadara, prominently featuring crispy onions, lentils, and parsley with Afia falafel in a tangy pomegranate dressing.
The new line brings Afia’s total SKUs to 10, including 5 flavors of frozen falafel and 1 SKU of frozen beef kibbeh (available regionally in Texas).
Moussallati Sibai, who is of Syrian and British descent, founded Afia with her husband, Yassin Sibai, using the little black recipe book that her mother-in-law brought with her when she came to America when fleeing the war in Syria. Moussallati Sibai herself had endured immense personal tragedy and great loss before starting over in Austin and missed the flavors of home. She quickly saw the importance that food played for so many people as a connection to home -- and set out to introduce the American consumer to updated Mediterranean favorites, using quality, whole food ingredients.
The announcement of Afia’s new line continues Afia’s year of growth, following the closing of a $3MM Series A funding round and the completion of Afia’s new 21,000-square-foot, purpose-built manufacturing facility in the Austin area. This new line will be the first new product launch from the new facility, which can produce 500,000 falafel a day and will support Afia as it grows all three lines of frozen Mediterranean food nationally.
Afia products are currently available in more than 3,000 retail locations nationwide including Whole Foods Market, Giant Landover, Publix, H-E-B, Harris Teeter, New Seasons Market, and Wegmans, along with other regional natural and grocery chains, independents, foodservice, and online grocery delivery. A full list of stores can be found online.
Afia is dedicated to nourishing the community through more than food. Beyond regular donations to local food banks, Afia is committed to supporting their local community of refugees through employment and mentoring.
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