Online meal kit provider HelloFresh has begun its first in-store meal kit rollout in 581 Giant Food and Stop & Shop stores, and while they do not currently include seafood, they will in the future.
The meals being rolled out across all stores in Ahold Delhaize U.S.A.’s Stop & Shop/Giant Food of Maryland stores.
The initial HelloFresh meals, which range in price from USD 14.99 (EUR 12.79) to USD 19.99 (EUR 17.05), include Peppercorn Steak, Mediterranean Style Chicken, Homestyle Meatloaf, Chickpea Couscous, and Paprika Chicken.
“We are working with HelloFresh on a seafood option to be in our stores at a later date,” Tracy Waterman, vice president of deli and bakery at Stop & Shop, told SeafoodSource. “The five meal-kit options that will be in our Stop & Shop stores on 8 June are based on customer preference.”
HelloFresh tested its meal solution for retailers via a global pilot program for two years, Waterman said.
"How we’ve been embraced by retail brands shows the quality product line HelloFresh has brought to market,” HelloFresh North America President Tobias Hartmann said in a press release. “HelloFresh strikes a chord with households that want fresh dinners on the table, without artificial ingredients or overly complicated recipes.”
HelloFresh expanded its distribution network from five to 11 facilities to minimize travel time and maintain ingredient quality for retailers.
While Stop & Shop and Giant Food stores do not currently feature seafood meal kits from HelloFresh, the meal kit supplier’s online recipes abound with seafood. For example, one of its current “classic” offerings is Tilapia with Sriracha Scallion Pesto over Ginger Jasmine Rice with Green Beans.
And another opportunity for organic and sustainable seafood suppliers is HelloFresh’s recent acquisition of Green Chef, a Boulder, Colorado-based meal kit brand that offers USDA-certified organic ingredients and addresses dietary plans like Paleo and Keto, and allergen challenges with gluten-free plans.
