Last updated on April 9th, 2018 at 10:45 am
Meal kit service Plated and its parent company, Albertsons Cos., are starting the next phase of what they say is their long-term plan to “transform the way consumers create meals at home, from planning and shopping to cooking and eating.” By the end of the year, Plated plans to make meal kits available in hundreds of stores around the country as the brand rolls out its offering across channels to meet customers wherever, whenever and however they choose to shop.
As of today, Plated already is available in 40 grocery stores in two major markets.
The new retail offering will debut with a collection of six meal kits representing some of Plated customer favorites. Recipes are created by Plated’s culinary team led by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Elana Karp. The ingredients are pre-measured and portioned to provide just what’s needed to cook meals at home with no food waste. The dishes currently available for in-store purchase include:
- Crunchy Chicken Milanese with Honey Mustard and Arugula
- Roasted Chicken au Jus with Orzo and Peas
- Beef Noodle Bowls with Dinosaur Kale and Mushrooms
- Steak Frites with Creamy Shallot Sauce and Sautéed Spinach
- Skillet Grandma Pie with Parmesan-Kale Salad
- Pine Nut–Crusted Salmon with Creamy Tomato Farro and Roasted Green Beans
“This is the next big step in our journey to enable everyone to enjoy fresh, delicious meals. We’ve delivered millions of meals to Americans through our acclaimed subscription service, and now we’ll be able to meet and serve millions of new customers with an entirely new level of convenience,” said Josh Hix, Plated co-founder and CEO. “Since partnering with Albertsons Companies last year, we’ve accelerated our growth and are thrilled to bring an elevated culinary experience to more people in more ways. Today we’re announcing that in addition to our subscription offering, customers near hundreds of Albertsons Companies stores will be able to pick up last-minute or order online for on demand delivery.”
“We are excited to have Plated meal kits in our stores. Plated’s culinary expertise allows us to offer customers, premium-quality, chef-designed recipes for amazing meals they can prepare at home,” said Pat Brown, group VP, merchandising and strategic initiatives, Albertsons Cos. “Plated is not just a meal kit, it’s a culinary experience. That’s what sets us apart. Our customers learn new techniques and can experiment with delicious and culturally diverse recipes.”
By the end of 2018, Albertsons Cos. plans to stock Plated meal kits at select Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market and Haggen locations. Shoppers will be able to find the kits using Plated’s store locator. Today, Plated is available in 20 Safeway stores in Northern California and 20 Jewel-Osco stores in the Chicago area, with continued national expansion throughout the U.S. planned in the coming months. As part of the rollout to stores, Plated also plans to make meal kits available to Albertsons Cos. customers in more ways, including delivery in as little as two hours through Instacart, online ordering for same day and scheduled home delivery, as well as for in-store pickup via Albertsons Cos.’ click-and-collect service Drive Up and Go.
“Since less than 20 percent of American consumers have tried a meal kit, there’s tremendous opportunity for us to make it easy for many more people to cook recipes they’ll love at home,” Hix added.
Since launching more than five years ago, Plated has developed more than 2,200 recipes. In-store meal choices will rotate seasonally, so customers will have new dishes to cook and enjoy. In-store meal kit options will include beef, chicken, vegetarian and seafood recipes.
Plated’s online subscription service continues to offer the most variety in the category, the company says, with 20 meal choices per week, as well as two dessert options.
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