HelloFresh signs with leading UK Caribbean food and drink supplier

Irie Eats, the new range from Grace Foods brings Caribbean cuisine to a new audience

It’s likely that during the last few years

you’ve heard about meal kits from relatives or friends who have used them or seen them advertised online.

Rising consumer demand for healthy, quick homemade food at a reasonable price has led to a considerable growth in the global meal kit market.

During the recent pandemic, cooking at home became a necessity, and meal kits have made it easier to experiment or develop one’s culinary talents.

According to figures from GlobalData, companies like market leader HelloFresh saw a 122.6% year on year revenue growth in the second quarter of 2020.

The pandemic also saw a rising demand from UK consumers for world foods. Figures from a 2021 Consumption at Home survey by Mintel found that Caribbean cuisine was at the top of world cuisines outside of the established Chinese, Indian, Mexican and Thai that Britons haven’t tried, but would be most interested in eating at home.

And it’s a trend that Hello Fresh has recNEW DEAL: Irie Eats meal-kits will be distributed by Hello Fresh, helping Grace Foods to capture a new and growing audience for Caribbean food

The recent pandemic saw meal-kits meet the rise in demand for affordable and convenient home cooked meals

ognised.

The company recently signed a deal with Irie Eats, the new Caribbean street-food range from Grace Foods UK.

As part of the deal HelloFresh will put to 30,000 Irie Eats meal kits in its meal kit boxes which will be distributed across the UK.

Irie Eats feature five different traditional Caribbean meals, from Caribbean Curry to Spicy Jerk Wrap Kits with different degrees of spiciness, as well as a side dish of Rice and Peas. Giuseppe Vello, Brand Manager for Irie Eats, said: “We are over the moon to have signed a distribution deal with HelloFresh. Their network is huge and Irie Eats complements their brands as the meal kits are quick and easy to make with a meal packed full of Caribbean flava being dished up. It is also the perfect way to introduce Irie Eats to the family market.”

Vello continued: “Caribbean food is having such an appeal as consumers are looking to explore different world foods and make every-day mealtime more interesting.

“Also, it helps that this year being the 60th anniversary of Jamaican independence, the launch of Get Up Stand Up, the West End musical inspired by the life of Bob Marley and of course Grace’s 100th anniversary have all helped to put Caribbean food and culture firmly in the forefront of people’s minds.” n