MZ Enjoy Walkerhill at Home... Hotel Industry Competes to Enter Meal Kit Market First

Targeting MZ Generation Seeking Gourmet Experiences and Premium Lines
Walkerhill Unveils 3 'Walkerhill Gourmet' Kits on the 14th
Preserving Hotel Signature Recipes with Direct Chef Involvement

Three types of 'Walkerhill Gourmet' meal kits released by Walkerhill Hotel & Resort on the 14th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] The hotel industry is increasingly entering the home meal replacement (HMR) market by leveraging the unique characteristics of hotel restaurants. Targeting the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), who seek premium lines even for a single meal along with a gourmet experience, they aim to allow customers to enjoy the authentic taste of hotels at home.

On the morning of the 14th, Walkerhill Hotel & Resort held a press conference at Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, unveiling the 'Walkerhill Gourmet' meal kits that bring 5-star hotel restaurant-level dining to HMR. The lineup includes three signature dishes from Walkerhill restaurants: Signature Sirloin Steak, Truffle White Ragu Pasta, and Shrimp Bisque Risotto.

The development of this first premium meal kit line was led by Chef Oh Seong-il of Walkerhill Hotel. Chef Oh emphasized, "We incorporated all our know-how so that anyone can easily recreate the taste of Walkerhill Hotel chefs at home."

Other hotels have already jumped into the meal kit battle. Lotte Hotel, for example, launched the 'Lotte Hotel 1979 Herb Lamb Rack' HMR in December last year, featuring the signature lamb rack from the hotel buffet La Seine. The meal kits, initially expected to last eight months, sold out in just three months.

Hotel Shilla released three types of meal kits last November, including Safe Steak, Tteokgalbi, and Mero Steak. Currently, Hotel Shilla provides recipes and quality-related know-how to Fresh Easy for meal kit production.

Paradise Hotel & Resort introduced meal kits incorporating expertise from its Western restaurant La Scala and Chinese restaurant Nampung. Since its launch in April, it has achieved a 20% sales growth compared to its target.

Chosun Hotel & Resort’s representative meal kits, Uni Jjajang and Jjamppong, have been popular, reaching cumulative sales of 660,000 units by the first week of June since their release. In June, Chosun Hotel & Resort also launched three new products, including Chinese-style cold noodles and cream shrimp.

The reason hotels are entering HMR development is that it is easy to target the MZ generation, who want to experience premium gourmet food. Since they already have signature recipes, research costs are low, and chefs directly participate in development, enabling quick feedback between consumers and chefs.

An industry insider said, "The increased demand for meal kits after COVID-19 has continued into the endemic phase with home parties and bridal showers popular among the MZ generation. The growth trend is expected to continue for the time being."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.