Wicked Foods

What Wicked Foods does

Wicked Foods, Inc. (doing business as Wicked Kitchen) is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based plant-based food company founded in 2016 by brothers Chad and Derek Sarno. The company develops and markets chef-crafted, flavor-first plant-based products — primarily a six-SKU frozen entree portfolio (Naked Burrito, Peng Panang Tofu Curry, Korean Inspired Bowl, Seriously Sriracha Tofu & Rice, Hearty Rigatoni Veg Bolognese, Rockin' Chili Mac), a non-dairy frozen dessert line, and acquired plant-based seafood brands Good Catch and Current Foods. Its underlying technology centers on food-science innovation rather than software: proprietary mushroom-based protein techniques using lion's mane, king oyster, oyster, and shiitake varieties to create meat-like textures, root vegetable cold-cut processing (rutabaga, celeriac), and a cast-iron pan-pressing method for crispy-edge, juicy-center mushroom steaks.

The company's business model is conventional CPG: it manufactures or co-manufactures finished frozen products and sells them through retail grocery and foodservice channels. Primary retail partners in the U.S. are Target (nationwide launch November 2023), Kroger, and Sprouts, with Tesco as the anchor U.K. partner; additional revenue comes from foodservice distribution in both countries, Amazon marketplace sales, and direct e-commerce via its own website. Pricing is set at the retailer level and is not publicly disclosed. The company supplements product sales with content marketing — a 420+ recipe library, the Mushroom Mafia email community, and a YouTube cooking series — to drive consumer pull. Customers are predominantly health-conscious, convenience-oriented grocery shoppers (flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans) and foodservice operators seeking chef-quality plant-based options.

Wicked Foods has raised approximately $34 million across disclosed funding rounds, including a $14 million Series A in July 2021 led by Unovis Asset Management and Nove Foods, and a $20 million round led by Ahimsa VC in September 2022. Headcount is in the 11–50 range. The company operates in the U.S., U.K., and Thailand and is privately held with no public listing.

Name

Wicked Foods

Legal name

Wicked Foods, Inc.

Website

https://wickedkitchen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wicked Foods is a plant-based CPG company that develops chef-crafted frozen meals, non-dairy desserts, and plant-based seafood, selling primarily through major U.S. retailers (Target, Kroger, Sprouts) and Tesco in the U.K. for health-conscious grocery consumers and foodservice operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-Based Frozen Foods

NAICS

Frozen Food Manufacturing (31141), Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Plant-Based & Vegetarian Meals (CRADADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA), Frozen Prepared Foods & Meals Manufacturing (AFAKACAH), Frozen Prepared Meals Retail (CRAHAJAE), Frozen Prepared Meals & Entrées Wholesale (AFAIAHAG), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Plant-based frozen meals
• Vegan meat alternatives
• Mushroom-based proteins
• Plant-based ice cream
• Root vegetable cold cuts

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Frozen Prepared Meals Retail: Sale of chef-crafted frozen plant-based entrees through retail grocery stores including Target, Kroger, and Sprouts. Products include Naked Burrito, Peng Panang Tofu Curry, Korean Inspired Bowl, Seriously Sriracha Tofu & Rice, Hearty Rigatoni Veg Bolognese, and Rockin' Chili Mac.
2. Plant-Based Protein Products: Production and sale of plant-based protein products including tofu-based items, mushroom-based meats, and meat alternatives through retail and foodservice channels.
3. Foodservice Distribution: Supply of plant-based food products to foodservice operators in both U.S. and U.K. markets.
4. E-commerce and Amazon Sales: Direct online sales through Amazon and the company's own website for select products.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wicked Foods manufactures and distributes chef-crafted, frozen plant-based meals, mushroom-based meat alternatives, root vegetable cold cuts, and plant-based ice cream. Its products are sold through major grocery retailers in the United States (Target, Kroger, Sprouts) and the United Kingdom (Tesco), through foodservice channels, and via e-commerce (Amazon, wickedkitchen.com). The company also operates a content platform with more than 420 plant-based recipes and the Wicked Kitchen YouTube series.

Product overview

Wicked Foods operates primarily as a plant-based frozen foods company offering a portfolio of six frozen entree products (Naked Burrito, Peng Panang Tofu Curry, Korean Inspired Bowl, Seriously Sriracha Tofu & Rice, Hearty Rigatoni Veg Bolognese, and Rockin' Chili Mac) distributed through major U.S. retailers (Target, Kroger, Sprouts) and UK retailers (Tesco). The company also produces plant-based ice cream as part of its non-dairy frozen dessert portfolio, and maintains a robust online recipe platform featuring over 420 plant-based recipes. The product strategy centers on chef-crafted, flavor-first convenience foods positioned for mainstream grocery consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Naked Burrito Plant-based frozen burrito entree and one of the original four Wicked Kitchen frozen entrees sold through major U.S. retailers including Target, Kroger, and Sprouts.
• Peng Panang Tofu Curry Plant-based frozen entree featuring tofu in panang curry sauce and one of the original four Wicked Kitchen frozen entrees available at U.S. retailers.
• Korean Inspired Bowl Plant-based frozen bowl entree with Korean-inspired flavors and one of the original four Wicked Kitchen frozen entrees sold at U.S. retailers.
• Seriously Sriracha Tofu & Rice Plant-based frozen entree with sriracha-glazed tofu over rice and one of the original four Wicked Kitchen frozen entrees at U.S. retailers.
• Hearty Rigatoni Veg Bolognese Plant-based frozen pasta entree with vegetable bolognese sauce; one of the two newest frozen meal additions carried first nationally at Target.
• Rockin' Chili Mac Plant-based frozen entree combining chili and macaroni; one of the two newest frozen meal additions carried first nationally at Target.
• Plant-Based Ice Cream Non-dairy plant-based frozen dessert products marketed under Wicked Kitchen and identified as a key offering in the U.S. non-dairy frozen dessert market.
• Retail Plant-Based Protein Products Line Retail line of plant-based protein products distributed through U.S. grocery retailers, including mushroom-based meats, tofu-based items, and meat alternatives aimed at consumer shoppers.
• U.S. Foodservice Plant-Based Products Foodservice distribution of plant-based food products to restaurants, catering services, and foodservice operators in the United States.
• U.K. Foodservice Plant-Based Products Foodservice distribution of plant-based food products to restaurants, catering services, and foodservice operators in the United Kingdom.
• Good Catch Plant-Based Seafood Plant-based seafood products sold as part of Wicked Foods' portfolio following the 2022 acquisition of the Good Catch brand.
• Current Foods Plant-Based Brand Plant-based food products sold as part of Wicked Foods' portfolio following the 2023 acquisition of the Current Foods brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in Netflix docuseries 'You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment' alongside other luminaries including Miyoko Schinner and Marion Nestle
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major, core and minor.

• Future Ocean FoodsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2023Wicked Kitchen is a founding partner of Future Ocean Foods, a global seafood association dedicated to supporting and accelerating the alternative seafood industry. The association has 36 member companies across 14 countries. Wicked Co-Founder Chad Sarno serves as a representative. The mission focuses on food security, human health, environmental sustainability, and ocean conservation.
• TargetmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 November 2023Nationwide launch at Target stores in November 2023. Target is the fourth largest U.S. retailer and was the first national retailer to feature newest Wicked Kitchen frozen meal additions including Hearty Rigatoni Veg Bolognese and Rockin' Chili Mac.
• TescocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor U.K. retailer partner for Wicked Kitchen products. Tesco carries Wicked Kitchen plant-based products in stores across the United Kingdom.
• KrogercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor U.S. grocery chain retail partner. Kroger carries Wicked Kitchen plant-based frozen meals and products in stores across the United States.
• SproutscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth-focused U.S. grocery retailer partner. Sprouts carries Wicked Kitchen plant-based products in stores nationwide.
• Good CatchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGood Catch plant-based seafood products are sold alongside Wicked Kitchen products as part of the company's plant-based protein offerings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alpha Foods: Plant-based frozen meals (burritos, bowls, pizzas) sold in US grocery; closely comparable product set to Wicked Kitchen's frozen entrees and similar target consumer (flexitarian shoppers).
• Dr. Praeger's: Frozen veggie-centric products (burgers, bowls, pancakes) sold in mainstream US grocery; comparable positioning around clean, vegetable-forward frozen foods and overlapping retailer base.
• Beyond Meat: Plant-based protein company selling frozen meals, burgers, and meat alternatives through major US grocery and foodservice channels; most direct large-scale comparable to Wicked Foods in plant-based frozen retail.
• Impossible Foods: Plant-based meat and frozen meal producer with national US grocery distribution and foodservice presence; competes with Wicked in the same freezer aisle and foodservice menu set.
• Gardein (Conagra Brands): Plant-based frozen entrees, tenders, and meat alternatives widely distributed in US grocery; one of the most established frozen plant-based brands and a direct competitor to Wicked Kitchen SKUs.
• Sweet Earth Foods (Nestlé): Plant-based frozen meals and proteins owned by Nestlé; directly competes in the same US grocery frozen aisle and benefits from Nestlé's distribution scale that Wicked lacks.
• Amy's Kitchen: Major natural and mainstream grocery brand for frozen meals (including vegetarian/plant-based lines); broad retailer coverage makes it the dominant incumbent in the frozen meal category where Wicked is expanding.
• Tofurky (The Tofurky Company): Long-standing plant-based brand with frozen meals, deli slices, and meat alternatives distributed across US natural and mainstream grocery; comparable category breadth to Wicked's mushroom-meat and cold-cut innovations.

Emerging players

• Good Catch (Wicked Foods subsidiary): Plant-based seafood brand acquired by Wicked Foods in 2022; closely related brand in the parent company's portfolio and direct play in alternative protein seafood, a category adjacent to Wicked's frozen entrees.
• Nona Lim: Plant-based Asian-inspired frozen meals, noodles, and broths sold through US specialty and mainstream grocery; comparable SKU profile (Korean, Thai, Asian bowls) to Wicked Kitchen's Korean Inspired Bowl and Peng Panang Tofu Curry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/WickedKitchenFood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wicked-kitchen
• Xx.com/WickedKitchenWW
• Facebookfacebook.com/eatwickedfoods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wicked Foods