Door to Door Desserts

Delivered meal kits are becoming increasingly specialized, so it’s no surprise that the latest kit isn’t a meal at all—it’s dessert. Chef’d, an El Segundo, Calif.-based online meal kit marketplace, has partnered with Hershey to add desserts to its lineup, the first time branded desserts have been offered in this market.

Customers can add dessert kits to any Chef’d meal order or get the sweet treats on their own. Recipes include Hershey’s Kitchens’ S’mores Cookies and Red Velvet Cream Cheese Squares, and Scharffen Berger’s Flourless Chocolate Torte and Unbelievable Fudgy Brownies, among others. Prices range from $2 to $4 per serving.

Recent Datassential research shows that dessert is still considered an away-from-home eating splurge, which means adding easy ways to bring this indulgence to more at-home eating occasions is a good idea. However, delivery meal kits may not be able to match consumers’ current dessert-eating patterns and preferences, offering a prime opportunity for grocerants. Some of the most popular desserts—such as ice cream, frozen novelties and shakes—aren’t delivery-friendly, but grocerants can offer kits with pre-made cookies, sprinkles and ice cream for at-home ice cream sandwiches or elaborate sundaes.

As desserts move more into anytime snacking and become less of an end-of-dinner occasion, Datassential sees mini-sizing and grab-and-go as the new normal for treats. Datassential’s MenuTrends Keynote on Desserts report suggests that with more than “half of dessert occasions being snacks, grab-and-go portability is a key opportunity that operators can’t ignore. These desserts benefit from portability, availability, affordability, wide household appeal.”

Grocerant-Ready Ideas:

• Dessert party kits with plain cupcakes, house-made frosting, sprinkles and other decorations
• Dessert and spirits pairing boxes with upscale confections and wine, beer or cocktail kits
• Meal-and-dessert deals that cross-promote with the bakery