Kevin’s Natural Foods, the only natural and health-focused refrigerated entrée brand in the nation, announced the company has experienced exponential growth during its first year of business. Empowering people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor, Kevin’s Natural Foods launched in the fall of 2019 and recorded $4.5 million in sales during its first quarter. Since its inception, the Northern California-based wellness brand has expanded rapidly, adding 6,000 retail locations nationwide in only 12 months. Experiencing a 460% revenue increase in 2020, the company projects to close out the year with $48 million in sales—thanks in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic changing what, how and where consumers are eating.
Marking its biggest day in online sales to-date on January 1, 2021, Kevin’s Natural Foods forecasts $100 million in sales for the year ahead with the addition of new entrées and products including low-carb and plant-based sides, the first Kevin’s Recipe Book, and the introduction of Kevin’s Clean Pan—an industrial-strength skillet without the offensive chemicals.
“Every so often an event sparks a society-wide shift in the way we behave, the way we spend our time, and how we view our personal priorities. The pandemic is definitely one of those times,” said Kevin’s Natural Foods Founder Kevin McCray. “I have no doubt that we will analyze the long-term implications for years to come, but in the meantime, I am working to identify, understand, and encourage the shifts in behavior we are seeing today that have the potential to lead to a healthier nation tomorrow.”
McCray, who battled a severe auto-immune disorder for years, turned to the paleo diet when conventional medicine wasn’t working––a move that would cure him of his ailment and motivate him to share his story with others by launching Kevin’s Natural Foods. The brand sells paleo and keto-certified sauces and seasoning blends in addition to sous-vide entrées and sides that use restaurant quality ingredients and recipes to bring great tasting, healthy and convenient 5-minute meals to the shelves of retailers like Costco, HEB, Publix and Whole Foods, and into the homes of millions of Americans.
One of the most salient trends that emerged during the pandemic was an increase in home cooking. According to a recent report by technology and consumer brand research publication, The New Consumer, grocery as a category saw a 10% jump in 2020, translating to $100 billion in growth on the year as consumers went from splitting meals between in-home and out-of-home consumption to entirely in-home. The pandemic-induced change in consumer demand for convenient whole foods is further proven by SPINS data from November 2020 that demonstrated a 47% growth for paleo-friendly products, as well as a 13.3% growth in the refrigerated entrées and sides category. This transformation in consumer shopping behavior is one of the reasons major grocers are changing the traditional supermarket experience by creating new categories for fresh, clean and innovative small-batch and independent products like Kevin’s Natural Foods.
Nurturing the society-wide motivation to eat better is near and dear to McCray given his personal wellness revolution and he expects the demand for better-for-you meals to continue into 2021 and beyond. Armed with these new consumer insights, Kevin’s Natural Foods will introduce three new entrées this quarter:
- Cauliflower Mac & Cheese: Cauliflower sous-vide in a creamy, decadent cheese sauce made with cheddar cheese, cream and a hint of sea salt
- Korean BBQ-Style Steak Tips: Tender steak tips paired with sweet and spicy Bulgogi-style sauce made with coconut aminos, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds
- Mongolian Beef: A rich Mongolian beef with coconut aminos, garlic, ginger and hints of shiitake and plum
About Kevin’s Natural Foods
Kevin’s Natural Foods is a line of healthy entrées, sauces and seasoning blends on a mission to make clean eating not only taste delicious, but also seamlessly fit into any lifestyle. Co-founded by Kevin McCray, who battled a severe auto-immune disorder for years and cured his condition through clean eating — specifically the Paleo diet —Kevin’s Natural Foods was born from his desire to help other people eat clean. Kevin’s guilt-free, sous-vide entrées and signature Paleo, Keto and Gluten-Free certified sauces allow home chefs to whip up delicious Michelin-style meals in just five minutes. With restaurant quality ingredients and recipes, Kevin’s products ring in at a more approachable price point and are even available on the shelves of coveted grocery retailers like Whole Foods and Costco and through Amazon. With strict nutritious standards, entrees and sauces contain zero refined sugar, artificial ingredients, grains, soy, dairy, antibiotics or hormones. A true market disruptor, Kevin’s is the first clean refrigerated entrée brand and challenges the notion that proper nutrition can’t be as delicious as it is healthy.
