Our plant-minded Nordic pals are making it easier for Angelenos to get healthy, no-hassle food delivered directly to our doors. After launching in Copenhagen in 2014, meal delivery service Simple Feast has officially made its U.S. debut by way of Los Angeles.
The B Corp. company offers plant-based meal subscriptions, all made of organic and locally sourced ingredients. Each meal includes a main dish plus two to three sides, and everything takes 20 minutes or less to make. Food is delivered on Sundays in compostable, recyclable, or biodegradable packaging, and you can choose three meals per week for two to three people ($89 per week) or four to five people ($150 per week) plus $9 shipping.
On the menu, expect exclusive-to-L.A. dishes such as kale-walnut pesto pizza, layered tikka masala with curried lentils and rice, chickpea shakshuka with Mediterranean salad and baba ganoush, baked strozzapreti pasta with roasted balsamic mushrooms and broccolini, and more.
We had a chance to try Simple Feast's roasted buffalo cauliflower (which came with cabbage-carrot slaw and farro salad), rigatoni bolognese with radicchio-apple salad, and roasted shawarma spiced tofu wraps with pickled cumin-carrot salad and sides. It took us at most 15 minutes to unpack, chop, and heat up our dinners, and we were immediate fans for the restaurant-quality dishes and quick prep time. (Bonus: Our sometimes-picky toddlers were also into it.)
Simple Feast's L.A. arrival comes after many launches were delayed as a result of the pandemic. With many working and spending more time at home during lockdowns, many people have changed the way they shop, such as ordering more from on-demand delivery apps (think Instacart and Postmates) and online meal services in addition to using take-out and curbside pick-up at local businesses.
"We're very grateful the pandemic did not impact the launch of Simple Feast," Simple Feast CMO Kate Hironaka tells UncoverLA. "The launch has been a long time coming. In fact, four of our executives including the founder, Jakob Jønck, relocated from Denmark to Southern California to expand."
"In terms of the pandemic's impact on the launch, we're seeing that people have more time than ever to be dining at home," says Hironaka. "The meal kit market has exploded in popularity and we're excited to see how Los Angeles responds to our launch."
As far as partnering with local growers, Hironaka explains that Los Angeles was its top pick in the U.S. because its "abundance of USDA Organic local farmers is unparalleled. For example, Simple Feast is working with Semolina Pasta, a local artisanal fresh pasta supplier. The herbs come from California Specialty Farms who works directly with Duncan Family Farms. They have fields in Cuyama Valley."
Hironaka continues: "As a B Corp, working with local farms was the only way to go when they decided to expand. Along with decreasing their carbon and water output through offering solely plant-based meals, they do everything they can to minimize transportation waste as well including using local farmers and optimizing delivery routes."
Hungry yet? Simple Feast is treating UncoverLA readers to an exclusive discount of $35 off their first order; subscribe to our newsletter below to get the code and sign up for Simple Feast online here. (Don't forget to click the "Do you have a discount code?" link at checkout!)
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