Wicked Kitchen expands plant-based seafood range with acquisition of Current Foods
Image credits: Current Foods/Instagram
Derek and Chad Sarno’s plant-based food brand Wicked Kitchen has announced the purchase of Current Foods, a producer of vegan sushi-grade tuna and salmon.
This marks the company’s second acquisition in a year. Brothers Derek and Chad Sarno’s alternative seafood group Good Catch was added to the Wicked Kitchen’s North American portfolio in the second half of 2022.
Founded in 2019, Current Foods’ product range includes smoked plant-based salmon slices and meat-free tuna cubes and fillets. The brand’s products are made with bamboo fibre and potato starch for texture, algae oil for taste, tomato and radish for colour and peas for protein.
The company currently sells its products to US foodservice and fine dining partners such as vegan restaurant group City Roots Hospitality in New York City and nationwide chain Blue Sushi Sake Grill. Current Foods also sells to a select number of restaurants and retailers in Spain, France, Italy and Belgium.
Wicked Kitchen CEO, Pete Speranza, commented on the news: “Current Foods is a perfect match for Wicked as a global-impact brand with the same mission and complementary products.
“With this deal and the Good Catch acquisition, we’re uniquely positioned as consumers continually learn about the environmental impact realities on sea life.”
The new merger will also allow Wicked Kitchen to access new international opportunities, channels and consumers, says Speranza.
“Wicked continues on our mission to disrupt the food space with plant-based culinary-forward solutions for consumers,” added Chad Sarno, co-founder and Chief Culinary Officer at Wicked Kitchen. “This synergistic opportunity to bring Current into the family, only amplifies the impact we can have as we continue to push forward in improving ocean health and all that call it home.”
First launched by American brothers Derek and Chad Sarno in collaboration with Tesco, Wicked Kitchen has been available in the UK since 2017. Since then, the brand has seen huge success, launching in the US in 2021, and introducing 23 products to the Finnish grocery store S-Market, and 17 products into Thailand’s largest retailers, Tops Market and Central Food Hall.
In 2022 Wicked also secured $20 million in bridge funding to continue expanding its selection of vegan ready meals, increase the number of global distribution points, and begin moving into foodservice.
