HelloFresh Launches Competitive Cooking Show on Social Platform Twitch

HelloFresh is using social platforms to connect with consumers in a new way. The meal-kit company has launched a new original live competitive cooking show, “Unleash the Feast,” on Twitch, an interactive livestreaming platform. Each week during the six-episode series, three Twitch streamers will engage in head-to-head cooking tasks, technical and physical challenges, and games (such as trivia).

Episodes will have a specific theme, and contestants will have to prepare and cook a HelloFresh meal while adding their own individuality to the dish. Feast master chef Tricia Wang will be on-site guiding contestants with her advice and expertise. Dishes will be judged based on “visual appeal and interpretation of the theme” by two hosts and the Feast master at the end of each episode.

Twitch Chat will also allow viewers to critique the contestants alongside the hosts and judges and cast their votes for their favorite dishes. Additionally, participants will have opportunities to win prizes and get exclusive deals such as $120 off HelloFresh meal kits plus free shipping (with code: FEAST16).

“ 'Unleash the Feast' showcases the fun and creativity consumers experience when cooking a HelloFresh meal,” said Jens Reich, chief marketing officer and managing director of HelloFresh U.S., in a statement. In 2020, the meal-kit company delivered more than 278 million meals to customers across the U.S., and operates across 17 international markets.

Social channels such as Twitch can provide a bevy of potential for grocers. During the recent IDDBA (International Dairy Deli Bakery Association) 2022 show, IRI’s Jonna Parker and 210 Analytics’ Anne-Marie Roerink spoke about the use of social media and its possibilities during a workshop titled “The Future is Digital and Personal.” They noted that social channels are how a lot of shoppers (particularly young shoppers) arrive at new products, new recipes and eventually at grocery retailers’ shopping sites. They also noted how it would be a missed opportunity not to meet those consumers where they are online with easy meal-making solutions; new, novel, and affordable tastes; and/or fun and accessible ways to liven up an at-home meal or social gathering. 

The average American in 2022 spends more than two hours a day on social media, Parker noted—and there are, unsurprisingly, marked differences by age group. In a 2021 survey by YPulse, Gen Z respondents pegged their own social-media use at 4.5 hours a day; millennials estimated their time scrolling Instagram and Twitter, et al., at 3.8 hours. 

Meanwhile, Twitch boasts more than 31 million average daily visitors, more than 1.3 trillion minutes watched in 2021, and as many as 8 million “unique creators streaming each month.”

“We're excited to engage with consumers and fans on Twitch by creating entertaining and original content they can view and interact with. We look forward to seeing the delicious dishes contestants cook up, and hope the series inspires viewers to get creative in their own kitchens," Reich said.

“Unleash the Feast” premiered June 21 on twitch.tv/unleashthefeasttv. The series will air on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. EST. The first three episodes will run through July 5, and the last three episodes will run weekly beginning August 16 and go through August 30.