James Sept-Oct 2021 web - Flipbook - Page 52
Fresh Harvest, when asked about continued growth
in Georgia after COVID hit, says “Our primary differentiator is that we source predominantly from local farms and
artisans, which is roughly 80 percent of our goods, and we
plan to stay focused on that key metric.” Whether it is a
major national company or one located in Georgia, being a
business that provides meals and is committed to helping
the environment, supporting other local businesses, and
providing truly beneficial and fresh meals, the industry
will continue to thrive.
Another important reason why meal kits will have
continued success as a Georgia industry is due to the diet
and health benefits of meal kits. Investing in a meal kit
delivery service has proven to make dieting easier for consumers. Based on last year’s success, Georgians will likely
see more meal kit companies in your local area introduce
more keto, paleo and vegetarian options that can satisfy a
wider range of customers.
A strong selling point for any product in Georgia or
anywhere is the matter of “convenience.” As startups,
Georgia based-meal kit companies such as Whisked
Away, Fresh Harvest, and Homespun would send the ingredients and recipe, and the customer would prepare the
meal. While helpful, the process still required prepping,
cooking, and cleaning up. Now these companies have
been looking to eliminate that extra work. Consumers
are now delivered pre-cooked items that do not require
any food prep or clean up. Meal kit services are looking
to improve not just the quality of their product, but the
convenience of its use. Due to this determination, there
should be no reason why this industry will not continue to
be profitable for Georgia.
COVID has had, and is still having, a significant
impact on everyone. Georgians have differing opinions
on what should be done, but one thing we can all agree
on is that we should all try to make important gatherings, such as sharing a meal with loved ones, as less
stressful as possible. There will always be the option
to get takeout or fast food delivered to one’s home or
office, but this has proven to be both costly and unsatisfactory for many consumers. The meal kit industry in
Georgia has been resilient throughout the pandemic by
providing consistency, convenience, and healthy meals
to those who choose this product. In Georgia this may
be one of the few industries that has grown through the
lockdowns, but it is also clearly determined to continue
providing ongoing services to customers for many years
to come. Despite the present challenges, eating healthy
food conveniently should not be one more thing to dwell
on. Meal kit companies fit this need now, and they are
counting on that to be an industry that grows far into the
future here in Georgia.
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JAMES
Charles Clay is a senior at the University of Georgia’s Henry W. Grady
School of Journalism and was a summer intern for James and
InsiderAdvantage Georgia.
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOB E R 2021
SEPTEMBER/ OC TOBER 2 0 2 1
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