Wicked Kitchen, a plant-based food brand and U.K. market leader in plant-based meals, has completed a $14 million Series A funding round. The round was co-led by pioneering plant-based foods venture fund Unovis Asset Management and Thailand-based NRF Nove Foods.
“As was demonstrated by Tesco, the U.K.’s largest supermarket chain, the breadth of offerings Wicked Kitchen brings to market allows motivated regional retail partners to commit to multi cross-category adoption. What Wicked brings into the U.S. will be unlike anything else that has come before it in the plant-based space.”
Brothers (and chefs) Derek and Chad Sarno created Wicked Kitchen and with it, a range of flavor-forward vegan products, first launched in January 2018 in the U.K. in collaboration with Tesco, one of the largest food retailers in the world. Following unprecedented success in the U.K., the pro-plant brothers are now bringing the Wicked Kitchen product line home to a hungry American audience keen to incorporate more plants into their diet.
“This funding supports the next giant leap in growth and adoption of the Wicked Kitchen product line — a journey that will span the globe,” said Wicked Foods CEO Pete Speranza. “As was demonstrated by Tesco, the U.K.’s largest supermarket chain, the breadth of offerings Wicked Kitchen brings to market allows motivated regional retail partners to commit to multi cross-category adoption.”
U.S. consumers will soon be able to buy Wicked Kitchen products soon. The movement Wicked Kitchen helped to pioneer has already captured the tastebuds of millions of people in the U.K. From flavorful, convenient lunch and breakfast options to frozen ready meals and meal solutions including sauces, mayos, pestos and meal kits, Wicked Kitchen’s proudly plant-based lineup extends through all the chef-crafted foods today’s consumer craves.
“The fastest adoption of plant-based foods is always driven by great culinary experience,” said Chris Kerr, Founding Partner of Unovis. “Wicked Kitchen has an unparalleled range of exceptional products, a revered brand, and two founding chefs willing to stir the pot. Unovis is here to support this effort from every angle.”
Estimates show that nearly one in every two Americans consume more plant-based meals than meat, with more than half (54%) of 2,000 U.S. respondents ages 24 to 39 identify as flexitarian, according to a survey commissioned by Sprouts Farmers Market by One Poll, Jan 15, 2021. Having ignited the plant-based movement in the U.K., which is now the number one vegan market globally, Wicked Kitchen is poised to repeat that success in the U.S.
With this funding now secured, more announcements will be made in the coming weeks demonstrating the rapid rise of Wicked Kitchen in the U.S. and the noteworthy, forward-thinking partners who have stepped in to assure its success.
About Wicked Kitchen
Wicked Kitchen is a pioneering, chef-driven range of delicious plant-based foods that unleash the power of vegetables. Created by chefs and brothers Derek and Chad Sarno who are on a mission to improve the lives of humans and animals globally. They are also co-founders of Gathered Foods, makers of the skyrocketing Good Catch plant-based seafood line. Based in Minneapolis, Wicked Kitchen provides convenient meal solutions and increased availability of plant-based foods.
About Unovis
Unovis is an industry-leading global investor in the alternative and plant-based protein sector. The team is committed to transforming the global food system to eliminate human reliance on animals, and to transform the industrial animal-ag complex toward a more humane and sustainable world.
About Nove Foods
Nove Foods is a wholly owned subsidiary of NR Instant produce PCL or NRF a publicly listed company in Thailand whose purpose is to decarbonize the world through food system transformation. Nove Foods’ goal is to be the world’s leading vertically integrated producer of alternative proteins and seeks to support Wicked’s ability to scale out across different regions around the world.
