Restaurants joining with retailers in the meal kit game

Chicago restaurateur and chef Stephanie Izard is working with online grocery brand Peapod on a meal kit line. The James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef represents a trend toward chefs and restauranteurs entering the meal-kit market.

Izard owns the restaurants Girl and the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat and Cabra. She also owns This Little Goat, a line of cooking sauces and spices, which are incorporated in the meal kit dishes. Peapod customers in select markets will be able to purchase This Little Goat cooking sauces and spices.

“As a mom and business owner, I understand how life can just get busy! But that shouldn’t take away your chance for a tasty dinner,” said Izard (left), in a statement. “I’m excited to partner with Peapod to make some of my favorite recipes easy to cook at home.”

The collaboration starts with two kits — Yucatán Fish Tacos by This Little Goat and Grilled Belize Chicken Sandwich by This Little Goat, which start at about $6 per serving.

Chicago-based Peapod has worked with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a local restaurant group, in the past. In May, Peapod partnered with food writer and cookbook author Mark Bittman, who also used to work for vegan meal-kit company Purple Carrot.

Generally, meal kits sales have moved from predominantly subscription-based, with companies like Blue Apron, to a mix of grocery brands entering the space. Partnerships with restaurants and chefs are common.

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Earlier this month, Whole Foods partnered with chef and restaurateur Ayesha Curry, who owns San Francisco-based International Smoke. Last year, Chick-fil-A started selling branded kits via mail order.

And various restaurants in Southern California, like San Diego-based Masala Street, offer subscription-free meal kits through Chef Meal Kits. The company helps restaurants create and market the meal kit versions of popular recipes and has plans to expand operations.

Grilled Belize Chicken Sandwich by This Little Goat