Raley’s launches its own line of meal kits

Western grocery chain Raley’s has rolled out a line of more than a dozen chef-created meal kits under its own brand.

The West Sacramento, Calif.-based retailer said its meal kit offering takes a different approach by providing customers affordable, on-demand dinner solutions in four ways: full kits, quick kits, side dishes and build-your-own kit components.

The full meal kits come with all items to make a complete meal, while the quick kits include precut vegetables and cooked chicken “to get dinner on the table fast,” Raley’s said. Meanwhile, the steamable vegetable sides can be paired with a grab-and-go rotisserie chicken, and the build-your-own kits include different combinations of sauces, starches and vegetables that give customers more flexibility in deciding what’s for dinner. 

Citing Nielsen research, Raley’s said more than half of consumers want to be able to build their own meals by buying components separately, and about 70% want to try new recipes and new foods. Customers, too, are seeking meal kits focused fresh food, health and nutrition. 

“We want to be the destination for our customers looking for a healthy, home-cooked meal,” according to Evelyn Miliate, Raley’s chef and culinary innovation manager, who developed the recipes. “Fresh kits are an affordable solution to dinner that customers can trust.” 

Serving two to four people, the full meal kits cost $16.99 to $19.99 and come in six recipes, including vegetarian curry, chicken with red wine sauce, chicken tarragon, butter chicken, steak with peppercorn sauce, and salmon with cilantro yogurt sauce. Preparation time is 25 to 40 minutes.

Three quick kits are available: mole enchiladas, Greek-style pasta and sage butter gnocchi. Priced at $14.99, these kits take 25 to 30 minutes to prepare and serve four people. They are intended to be part of a meal with a rotisserie chicken. 

The build-your-own kit components, at $3.99 to $4.99, include a choice of nine sauces, eight whole grains and starches, eight vegetables and meat freshly prepared by an in-house butcher, Raley’s said.

All steamable, the four vegetable sides cost $4.99 each and include broccoli parmesan, green beans with parmesan, Mexican-style vegetables and Italian-style vegetables. They take three minutes to prepare and serve two people. 

“The kits include high-quality ingredients and offer great variety, so your family doesn’t get bored with the same recipes,” Miliate said.

The meal choices are seasonal, and recipes will rotate quarterly, Raley’s said. Customers can find the new meal kits in stores or online, with options for curbside pickup or home delivery.

Overall, Raley’s operates 129 stores in California and Nevada under the Raley’s, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, Food Source and Market 5-ONE-5 banners.