Gelson’s gives Chef’d meal kits first retail stage

Gelson’s has tapped delivery meal kit startup Chef’d to provide in-store prepped options for customers at the Valley Village/ North Hollywood California store, the grocer announced on Monday.

There are now 12 Chef'd recipe options available on shelves, including maple-glazed pork chops, Indian beef short rib tacos and Cajun chicken pasta. The meals are priced at $24.99, and include enough ingredients for two portions.

Plans are in place to expand the partnership to multiple Gelson’s locations after this initial run.

Photo: Gelson's

"This is a brand-resonant partnership for Gelson's, which has always strived to offer only the very best, freshest produce and quality meats to our customers for more than 65 years," Gelson's President and CEO Rob McDougall said in a prepared statement. "In an era when everyone is busier than ever, we are excited to build on our long commitment to exceptional customer service by delivering even more convenience to Customers through this affiliation with Chef'd."

The retailer currently has 25 full-service locations in Southern California.

Like Gelson’s, Chef’d is also a Southern California-based operation with headquarters in El Segundo. It launched in the spring of 2015 and offers a subscription-free meal kit home delivery service.

The grocer said it was attracted to the startup’s flexibility, its lack of additives and preservatives and its partnership with trusted chefs and brands such as the Atkins diet, the James Beard Foundation and Robert Irvine.

Chef’d is equally optimistic about its debut in the retail realm. "Meal Kits have exploded in popularity, with the remarkable growth of Chef'd and other companies online,” Chef'd CEO Kyle Ransford said in a release.  “Still, most people do the vast majority of their food shopping in grocery stores. Gelson's shoppers will now be able to grab ready-to-cook meals in a signature Chef'd box, right at the grocery store."

While the market for deliverable and prepackaged meals is certainly growing, retailers have found that providing prepped meals in store is a move that benefits both sides of the industry.

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Twitter: @DanAMX