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Gelson’s rolls out True Chef, Chef’d meal kits

Parent True Food Innovations focuses on retail distribution

Russell Redman

March 5, 2019

2 Min Read
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Gelson’s Markets is rolling out meal kits under the True Chef and Chef’d labels.

True Food Innovations, which distributes the True Chef and Chef’d meal kits, said Encino, Calif.-based Gelson’s will carry all eight recipes from both brands, including truffle butter sirloin steak, chicken marsala and saffron tomato chicken.

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"We are very excited for this partnership,” Paul Kneeland, senior produce executive at Gelson’s, said in a statement. “We pride ourselves in providing our customers top-quality product and look forward to a successful relationship with True Chef and Chef'd meal kits.”

All of the True Chef and Chef’d meals require 15 minutes of preparation and cook time and are free from artificial colors, preservatives and artificial flavors.

"We are extremely excited to relaunch the Chef'd and True Chef brands in Gelson's Markets,” said Alan True, founder and CEO of Newport Beach, Calif.-based True Food Innovations. “It is a testament to the quality of product and our ability to meet the highest standards of Gelson's and its customer base.”

True Food, a fresh food technology, CPG and manufacturing company, acquired Chef’d last summer about a week after the Los Angeles-based meal kit provider ceased operations and laid off employees due to financial difficulties. In relaunching the brand, True Food said it would focus on retail distribution rather than online ordering and delivery via subscription.

Related:Chef’d is back in business — but not e-business

Gelson’s, which has 27 specialty grocery stores in Southern California, had originally launched Chef’d meal kits in August 2017 and at the time was the retail launching pad for the then-startup.

"Our strategy is to provide retailers with a multi-brand offering with the ability to provide meal kit options based on price, demographics and geography,” said Robert Jones, president of True Food Innovations. “Gelson's agreed with us and has built a destination with both the True Chef and Chef'd brands for its consumers.”

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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