Sunbasket Launching New Fresh & Ready Meal Line
The pandemic may be waning, but Sunbasket's aspirations to become a dominant force in the meal kit space are not.
The company announced that its Fresh & Ready meals have transitioned to individual, single-serve portions. It also plans to launch more than 65 new Fresh & Ready recipes to provide more variety and flavor profiles that make meal solutions easier for consumers, who are projected to continue having more meals at home even after the pandemic.
The individually-portioned Fresh & Ready meals can be heated in the oven or microwave and are ready to eat in as little as three minutes. New recipes will include Creamy Linguine with Peas & Pancetta, Sweet Pea & Broccoli Risotto and Pork Chile Verde Over Cilantro–Cauliflower "Rice," among others.
"We've seen an incredible response to our Fresh & Ready line since it originally launched last year," said Don Barnett, CEO, Sunbasket. "Customers shared that they loved the meals, but preferred to purchase single-serve portions, even in non-single households. By expanding our offerings to include more recipes and changing the serving size, we're now able to help even more customers meet their health goals by catering to a variety of dietary preferences and eating occasions."
Meal kits have gotten a boost from pandemic-weary consumers who are looking for easy at-home meal solutions. The Kroger Co. said this month it expects its Home Chef meal kit unit to become a $1 billion brand. Home Chef’s sales more than doubled last year, soaring 118%, Stuart Aitken, Kroger’s chief merchant and marketing officer, said during Kroger’s annual Investor Day presentation to analysts and investors.
Sunbasket's Fresh & Ready is a line of pre-prepared, single-serving, ready-to-heat meals created by chefs, requiring no prep, cleanup or mess. Sunbasket says it strives to adapt its offerings to fit seamlessly into consumers' lifestyles, whether they are in need of an easy weeknight meal, an elevated work-from-home lunch, or a solution when they're eating for one or don't want to cook. Consumers' eating habits have rapidly evolved due to the pandemic and more people are looking for convenient, healthy single-serve options like Fresh & Ready.
Sunbasket's traditional meal kits, as well as Fresh & Ready products, are made using organic produce and eggs, antibiotic and hormone-free meats, and sustainably sourced seafood. Sunbasket also offers an expansive Marketplace section that includes convenient options across additional mealtime occasions such as breakfast, lunch and snacks, including ready-to-eat salads, grain and legume bowls, vegetable soups and filled flatbreads.
Fresh & Ready meals are available for purchase starting at $8.99 with shipping beginning the week of April 25.
