MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wicked Kitchen, the renowned U.K. market-leader in plant-centric meals, snacks and ingredients, today announced the launch of an extensive line-up of 20+ plant-based offerings across all Kroger banners, America’s largest supermarket chain by revenue, and Sprouts Farmers Market, one of the fastest growing natural and organic retailers in the U.S.
With these market-leading retailers, the nationwide launch will support Wicked Kitchen’s goal to provide convenient and exceptionally tasty, plant-based foods for meat eaters and vegans alike, while reducing the harmful impact on animals and the planet. The launch of the product line ranges from flavor-packed convenient lunch and breakfast options, to frozen ready meals and a range of meal solutions with sauces, mayos, pestos and meal kits.
“We’re thrilled to launch Wicked Kitchen in the U.S. with Kroger, the nation’s strongest leader in grocery retail,” said Pete Speranza, Chief Executive Officer of Wicked Foods, Inc. “As was demonstrated by Tesco in the U.K., the breadth of offerings Wicked Kitchen brings to market allows consumers to finally have a plant-based destination with a wide and growing variety of choices that has been lacking in the grocery market. What Wicked brings into the U.S. will be unlike anything else that has come before it in the plant-based space. This launch is one of the largest single-brand launches in the US grocery industry in decades.”
Wicked Kitchen’s expansion to North America aligns with the unprecedented changes already taking place among U.S. consumers with more than 10 million Americans now following a plant-based diet and many more seeking simple and delicious ways to add more plants to their meals.
Founded in 2017 by brothers and world-renowned chefs Derek and Chad Sarno, Wicked Kitchen’s innovative products launched in the U.K. in partnership with Tesco, one of the world’s largest food retailers by gross revenue. Native to New England, the Sarnos are now bringing the brand home to American consumers hungry for more culinary-forward options in plant-based cuisine.
Driven by the Sarno brothers’ culinary credentials and exacting high standards, Wicked Kitchen highlights the power of how plants help change the way the world eats by creating best-in-class plant-based food for every type of eater and at every age. The chefs have created a growing library of more than 2,000 ground-breaking recipes and online videos that have received more than 30 million views.
“Our mission is clear: we help people cook and eat more plants. Together with Wicked consumers, we help save many millions of animals, we help our planet, we support farmers and importantly, improve human health,” says Derek Sarno, Chef & Co-Founder of Wicked Kitchen. “We’ve created the tools, recipes and products to make it simple, flavorful and fun for people to cook and eat more plant-based foods in the U.K., and we are excited to now bring these to the U.S.”
Earlier this month, Wicked Kitchen announced a successful investment round garnering $14 million in Series A funding to help supercharge the plant-based food movement in the U.S. The funding round was co-led by pioneering plant-based foods venture fund Unovis Asset Management and Thailand-based NRF Nove Foods.
“We see the combination of Wicked Kitchen and Kroger being powerful launch partners to bring culinary plant-based variety to U.S. consumers. We see great opportunities with Wicked Kitchen and the broad reach it has into the shopping carts of plant-curious consumers,” said Chris Kerr, Founding Partner of Unovis Asset Management.
About Wicked Kitchen
Wicked Kitchen is a pioneering, chef-driven range of delicious plant-based foods that unleash the power of vegetables. Each recipe is created by chefs and brothers Derek and Chad Sarno who are on a mission to make a real difference in the lives of humans and animals globally. They are also co-founders of Gathered Foods, makers of the skyrocketing Good Catch plant-based seafood line. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Wicked Kitchen provides convenient meal solutions and increased availability of plant-based foods. For more information on Wicked Kitchen, visit wickedkitchen.com. For ongoing news and updates, follow Wicked Kitchen on Facebook and Instagram.
