Dive Brief:
- Blue Apron is releasing a new line of fresh, pre-made and non-frozen meals on Monday, according to an emailed press release from the meal delivery company.
- The Prepared & Ready line consists of 16 new single-serve meal options that customers can order starting Monday. Blue Apron said it will add new recipes and menu categories to the line throughout the new year.
- Despite setbacks over the past year, the company is continuing to expand its lineup with a focus on quick-prep and heat-and-eat options that go beyond its traditional meal kits.
Dive Insight:
The Prepared & Ready line includes various cuisines as well as health-conscious dishes in an effort to meet the growing demand for meal option varieties, according to the announcement.
The line has dietitian-approved offerings such as “carb conscious” meals that have less than 30 grams of net carbs per serving, meals totaling 600 calories or less, dishes with 30 grams of protein and easy meal prep dishes.
The line features a chef-curated menu with seasonal produce, signature sauces and meats prepared “sous vide,” the announcement noted. The meal options include Italian and Asian-inspired dishes.
The Prepared & Ready meal options start at $13.49 per serving and, once ordering opens on Monday, customers can receive these new meals starting Jan. 8, 2024.
This year, Blue Apron had to make numerous efforts to cut costs and improve efficiency. In May, the company announced intentions to transfer its operation infrastructure to FreshRealm so it could transition into an asset-light model. The company also laid off 20% of its corporate staff in mid-July. By September, food tech company Wonder Group announced it was acquiring Blue Apron.
Amid these operational shifts, the meal kit company partnered with DoorDash in April to make its Heat & Eat meals available on DashMart and, throughout 2022, expanded purchasing avenues for its meal kits, making them available on Amazon and Walmart.com.
