Meal-kit firm HelloFresh saw revenue grow 143 per cent in New Zealand during the fourth quarter of 2020, the business said on Thursday, reaching more than $51.8 million for the period.

The food provider saw an increased uptake in trials of the business during the pandemic, as Kiwis search for alternatives to heading to the supermarket and want to try different foods.

“The lockdowns drove an increase in sales as people turned to meal kits as a way of minimising the need to leave home for groceries,” said HelloFresh NZ chief executive Tom Rutledge.

“As well as providing food, we provide a welcome distraction and a sense of occasion to dinner. Having provided these positive experiences to a broader audience is a great foundation which will help sustain our increased market share now that more meals continue to be taken at home.”

According to HelloFresh, local producers are also benefiting, shipping more than 150 tonnes of fresh product each week to its distribution centre – with nearly 2 million kilograms of chicken, beef and lamb, 5 million potatoes, 3 million onions and 150,000 litres of yogurt procured by the business.

Rutledge said maintaining a strong local supply chain has been integral to HelloFresh’s success since it launched in New Zealand in 2018.

“We take pride in offering Kiwis a very diverse range of HelloFresh meals, and our supply chains are a fundamental part of the appear of our product,” Rutledge said.

“We know that our customers value the flexibility of our offering and the opportunity to have a direct impact on the recipes.”