Global plant-based food brand Wicked Foods has acquired US-based Gathered Foods, makers of Good Catch plant-based seafood products in North America.
The deal will extend Wicked Kitchen’s multi-category plant-based offerings into frozen and ambient seafood products enhancing the company’s portfolio of meal solutions and ingredients, said the company.
Both brands were founded by brothers and chefs Derek and Chad Sarno.
Wicked Kitchen's Chad Sarno retains his position as chief culinary officer of both Good Catch and Wicked Kitchen, while Wicked Kitchen CEO Pete Speranza takes the helm of Good Catch under the deal.
Founded in 2017 and launching into the UK's largest retailer Tesco in 2019, Wicked Kitchen expanded into the US market in 2021 and offers more than 40 products offered at US retailers, it said.
In the last year, Wicked Kitchen has tripled its distribution from Tesco to more than 6,500 retail stores in the United States, as well as Finland, Estonia, and this fall, the brand is launching in Thailand.
In the US, the Wicked Kitchen brand is available at Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market stores, Giant, Publix, and 7-Eleven.
Good Catch products are currently sold at US retailers that include Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Giant, and are also sold in nearly 500 Tesco stores in the United Kingdom. The products are also sold under the Swell Catch brand in Canada.
“By folding Good Catch’s plant-based seafood offerings into Wicked Kitchen’s North American footprint we will have the largest variety of animal-free consumer packaged goods in the industry available at more than 30,000 distribution points,” said Pete Speranza, CEO of Wicked Kitchen, of the deal.
In the all-stock transaction, Gathered Foods, the parent company of Good Catch, will become a shareholder of Wicked and will gain a seat on the company’s board.
The deal does not include Good Catch’s United Kingdom brand, which remains under Gathered Foods, reported Food Dive.
Wicked takes over distribution
Wicked Foods will take over control of the logistics and sales of Good Catch for North America from Gathered Foods, the company confirmed with IntraFish. Gathered Foods previously had a joint venture partnership with Bumble Bee Foods to leverage its sales, distribution, and logistics.
In March of 2020, plant-based seafood producer Good Catch announced a joint distribution venture with Bumble Bee Foods. It is so far unclear what will happen to that partnership.
The Good Catch and Bumble Bee partnership was a breakthrough for a plant-based seafood company, marking the first time a major seafood company had so publicly committed to what some in the industry consider a threat.
