Meal kits will be available in select locations

CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. is rolling out Home Chef meal kits to select stores. It also plans to is launch a new quick-cook meal kit called Home Chef Express that promises to be ready to eat in about 15 minutes.

“We are excited to introduce Home Chef’s new retail meal kits to our store customers,” Kroger senior vice president of merchandising Robert Clark said in a statement. “Offering a rotating menu of recipes is one more way we are providing our customers with innovative culinary experiences and choices. The Home Chef meal kits will redefine the way customers shop for, prep, and cook their meals.”

Home Chef’s meal kits will first be available at select locations in Illinois (Mariano’s), Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin (Pick ‘n Save and Metro Market).  Each week, there will be four Home Chef meal kit options available in participating store locations. The same recipes will also be available to customers through homechef.com, where shoppers will find even more weekly variety. Each meal serves two and starts at $8.50 per serving. Information about participating locations is available at homechef.com/grocery. Customers can also have Home Chef meals delivered directly to their home by ordering on homechef.com. There, customers can choose from 18 weekly menu items, including Home Chef’s no-cook 5-Minute Lunches, dinners, and smoothies.

Kroger, which agreed to acquire Chicago-based Home Chef in May, said it expects to roll out Home Chef meal kits to additional markets in 2019.

“We’ve built a strong business helping people plan their meals in advance. We also know there are customers who want the convenience of a Home Chef meal, without having to plan ahead,” Home Chef founder and CEO Pat Vihtelic said. “We’re excited to take this first step in revolutionizing mealtime by bringing Home Chef’s signature variety and great-tasting meals directly to Kroger customers. We are also looking forward to introducing our new line of Home Chef Express meal kits that address a major customer need—faster meals.”