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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
