Retail-focused meal kit company Chef’d ceases operations

Meal kit company Chef’d has gone out of business.

Chef'd had planned to expand into more than 1,000 stores this year.
Chef’d had planned to expand into more than 1,000 stores this year.
(File Photo)

Meal kit company Chef’d has gone out of business.

Chef’d churned through millions it received from investors and companies like Smithfield Foods and Campbell Soup Co., and it could not secure more funding to keep going, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In a highly competitive segment where many companies deliver, Chef’d had made inroads at retail. The company placed meal kits at Gelson’s, Costco, Tops Markets, Food Lion, Hy-Vee and had announced a pilot program with Walgreens.

Earlier this year, Sean Butler, at the time the senior vice president of retail for Chef’d, explained the company had developed extended-shelf life packaging that made the meal kits a much more viable option for retailers.

At the time, Chef’d planned to be in more than 1,000 retail locations by the end of June.

RELATED: True Food Innovations buys Chef’d

Meal kits have been a high-interest item in recent years but difficult to execute. What follows is a timeline of developments in the segment over the last 12 months. There has been no shortage of activity in that span.

The Packer logo (567x120)
Related Stories
The retailer has signed leases for smaller-format stores in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.
The Union City, Calif.-based company is eyeing a potential 50% boost in sales following the first acquisition in its 63-year history, a strategic expansion engineered to master the high-stakes world of just-in-time produce logistics.
Albertsons Cos. has launched the AI-powered Intelligent Quality Control tool that uses computer vision to help distribution center associates more accurately and consistently inspect fresh produce.
Read Next
Industry leaders outline how retailers can maximize the 90-day sweet cherry sales window through aggressive early promotions and strategic late-season displays.
Get Daily News
GET MARKET ALERTS
Get News & Markets App