The collaboration is aimed at the back-to-school period and will see Hughes work with WeCook executive chef Gabriel Drapeau on four meals incorporating products from Hughes’s retail collection.
The dishes will be introduced over four consecutive weekly menus, with two meals available during the first two weeks and two new meals following in the third and fourth weeks.
Four meals over four weeks
The menu will feature:
- Weeks of Aug. 23 and Aug. 30: Chuck Hughes Antipasto & Bruschetta Salmon with Orzo; and Chuck Hughes Red Pepper Spread Agnolotti with Chicken.
- Weeks of Sept. 6 and Sept. 13: Chuck Hughes White Balsamic Vinegar Kale & Goat Cheese Harvest Salad; and Chuck Hughes Reuben-Style Grilled Chicken with Mustard Coleslaw.
The meals will use products from Hughes’s retail collection, including Mild Antipasto, Red Pepper Spread, Tomato Bruschetta, White Balsamic Vinaigrette and Mustard Coleslaw.
“For me, good food doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with great ingredients, simple techniques and big flavours. It was a lot of fun collaborating with the WeCook team and seeing my products used in four completely different meals. We’re both proud Montréal brands, and I hope these dishes make the busy back-to-school season a little easier with food that’s fresh, comforting and full of flavour,” said Hughes.
WeCook’s growth
The collaboration comes as WeCook continues to expand its ready-to-eat meal business. The company says it has grown by 1,000 per cent since 2020 and has created more than 600 jobs.
WeCook, which was established in 2013, operates a federally licensed production facility in Montréal and says it delivers more than 4.5 million meals annually to customers in Quebec and Ontario, as well as major metropolitan areas in the Maritimes and Western Canada from Winnipeg to Vancouver.
The company offers weekly menus of 15 recipes, along with snacks and beverages.
For WeCook, the Hughes collaboration also brings products from the chef’s retail business into prepared meals sold through its delivery service.
“Chuck’s creativity, authenticity and love of great food make him a natural partner for WeCook,” said Michel Gagné, CEO of WeCook. “Together, we’ve created meals that bring the flavours Canadians know from Chuck’s products into convenient, chef-crafted dishes for the busy back-to-school season.”
The four-week menu is scheduled to run through the week of Sept. 13, with each pair of dishes rotating into the company’s weekly offerings during the collaboration.
More from Retail Insider:
