Professional chefs curate or brand meal kits for convenience-minded consumers
Implications - Professional and famous chefs are increasingly throwing their names behind at-home meal kit options for consumers seeking simple ways to make food. Through the curation and/or branding of meal kit options with celebrity backing, trust between the consumer and the brand is enhanced in an industry that has oft been perceived as unhealthy.
Workshop Question - Consider influencers your company could leverage to enhance trust between your brand and consumer.
Trend Themes
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Celebrity Chef Kits — Increasing number of famous chefs are putting their names behind at-home meal kit options to enhance trust between consumer and the brand.
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Plant-based Meal Kits — Growing number of consumers are practicing flexitarian or vegetarian/vegan diets, leading to the creation of more options like the Tesco 'Wicked Kitchen' and Peapod and Chloe Coscarelli's vegan meal kits.
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Grocery Store Meal Kits — Chef-created, pre-portioned meal kits are now available through national grocery stores like Chef'd and Smithfield Foods, catering to busy consumers with elevated versions of weeknight dinner classics.
Industry Implications
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Food and Beverage Industry — With the rise of meal kits, there is a growing opportunity for differentiation through chef-created, plant-based, or grocery store-focused options that cater to consumers' convenience needs.
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Retail Industry — National grocery stores have an opportunity to expand their meal kit offerings like Chef'd and Smithfield Foods to meet growing consumer demand for easy, home-cooked gourmet meals.
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Tech Industry — Online grocers like Peapod can benefit from offering vegan, non-GMO and free-from filters to quickly help consumers satisfy their dietary needs and preferences.
