Chef Matthew Kenney Joins Vegan Meal Delivery Service ‘XFood’ For U.S. Expansion
Restaurateur and plant-based chef Matthew Kenney is the latest to throw his hat into the meal delivery game, as the newly appointed chief culinary officer of digital retail platform PlantX and its XFood delivery program.
Matthew Kenney is the renowned chef behind more than forty vegan restaurants and businesses across the globe., including Double Zero, Plant Food and Wine, Baia, Alibi, and Sutra.
The news of Kenney’s appointment comes after UpMeals, the leading white-label, prepared-meal platform, announced the expansion of its partnership with PlantX to help bring the meal service to the US.
“It has long been a dream of ours to be able to deliver food outside of the restaurant setting and in a more personal and personalized way,” Kenney said in a statement. “The meal kits are a representation of how we can build a future where healthy, high-quality food is available to everyone on a daily basis. We are excited to be working with PlantX to make this dream a reality. It is an honour to create weekly meal plans with my team that reflect that utmost in health, purity, and of course, pleasure.”
Kenney partnered with the site on his beachside convenience store, New Deli by PlantX, in Venice, Calif.; and a multi-business food hall and drive-thru called Plant City, PlantX, in Providence, Rhode Island.
Plant food for the planet
PlantX currently offers more than 10,000 plant-based products to its e-commerce customers across North America, with plans to expand into personal care and clothing items as well as its own water brand.
But the company says the platform is about more than just e-commerce, it’s also about building community and offering education to its audience by way of nutritionists, chefs, and brand involvement.
The new delivery menu features a three-day meal plan, including six à la carte lunch and dinner meal options, and six cold-pressed juices from the recently acquired juice company, Little West. Recipes include orange chicken mushroom with broccoli and brown rice, sweet soy and lemongrass glazed tempeh, kung pao cauliflower with tofu and zucchini and mushroom probiotic bibimbap.
PlantX also offers add-ons such as breakfast items, snacks, and treats.
“Variety, quality and customer service are key elements defining the new initiative,” said PlantX Founder, Sean Dollinger. “PlantX aims to ensure that the XFood menu will consistently evolves with consumer needs and preferences and therefore the 3-day meal programs will include new meal options on a monthly basis.”
Read: INTERVIEW: Vegan Chef Extraordinaire Matthew Kenney
U.S. Expansion
According to Drew Munro, Co-Founder and CEO of UpMeals, the launch in the U.S. is starting on the West Coast, with plans to expand to all 50 states.
“Our plant-based food options are very popular and we know that U.S.-based PlantX customers will benefit from our variety of meals and snacks designed by professional chefs and holistic nutritionists. This is a fantastic opportunity to leverage the expertise of renowned vegan chef Matthew Kenney to deliver delicious plant-based meals to our customers,” he said.
“The PlantX team has been working tirelessly to ensure that our U.S. delivery meals attain the highest standards of quality, nutritional richness, creativity and innovation”, said PlantX CEO, Julia Frank.
“Quality and excellent customer service are our top priorities and we have implemented strong operational systems to ensure that the meals reach our customers in the best conditions possible. By adding the health-promoting Little West juices, we aim to create a holistic meal delivery experience and inspire dietary diversity to consistently improve our customers’ health and wellbeing.”