Hershey partners with Chef’d to tap $2bn meal kit industry

14-Sep-2016 - Last updated on 15-Sep-2016 at 11:20 GMT

Hershey became the first major US chocolate brand to enter the meal kit market says Chef'd

Online meal kit company Chef’d has struck a deal to produce Hershey branded desserts as the US chocolate leader expands into flourishing US meal kit market.

The partnership marks the first time a major US confectionery brand has entered the meal kit industry, says Chef'd.

Chef’d also works with Hershey-owned chocolate maker, Scharffen Berger, for various dessert recipes.

The deal comes shortly after Mondelēz abandoned its bid to purchase Hershey and decided expand its presence alone in the US chocolate market.

The collection of desserts Chef’d offers through the Hershey partnership includes recipes from Hershey’s Kitchens, such as chocolate chip cookies, no-bake toffee fudge bars and white chip lemon bars, according to the Chef’d website.

“Hershey has a long history of helping consumers discover recipes featuring their product. Chef'd is a vehicle to have those exact products and ingredients delivered direct to the consumer,” the CEO of Chef’d, Kyle Ransford, told ConfectioneryNews.

Meal kit industry estimated to hit $35bn by 2025

“Consumers are being given a direct ‘buy button’ when they view a recipe rather than having to print or rip out a recipe and make a trip to the grocery store,” Ransford said.

According to a recent report published by Packaged Facts, the current market size of the US meal kit industry is $2bn and is estimated to grow at 100% a year. The industry is projected to be $35bn by 2025.

“Everyone eats dinner and many people crave for something sweet, either it be after a meal or any time during the day,” Ransford said. “The demand for desserts and chocolate is large and we want to bring these directly to the consumer.”