Tattooed Chef acquires two new manufacturing facilities targeting $1bn frozen Mexican food category

By Mary Ellen Shoup

- Last updated on GMT

Photo Credit: Tattoed Chef
Photo Credit: Tattoed Chef

Related tags Tattooed Chef Frozen food Plant-based foods

Tattooed Chef has entered into agreements to acquire New Mexico Food Distributors, Inc. and Karsten Tortilla Factory, LLC (collectively referred to as “Foods of New Mexico”) for approximately $35m to ramp up production of its plant-based frozen foods offerings.

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Foods of New Mexico is a prepared food company that produces ready-to-eat Mexican food items for retail and foodservice. The acquisition of Foods of New Mexico's two facilities (totaling 118,000 square feet of combined production space) will allow Tattooed Chef to expand its tortilla manufacturing capabilities. 

"We have seen tremendous growth in the Tattooed Chef brand and these two facilities will allow us to diversify our product lines and significantly increase our manufacturing capabilities to capitalize on the $20bn Hispanic/Southwest Food sector and beyond,"​ Sam Galletti, president and CEO of Tattooed Chef. 

"We will be immediately addressing the $1bn Frozen Mexican Food category once the transactions close. At full capacity, we believe Foods of New Mexico can contribute up to $200m annually in revenue in the next two to three years and create significant value for all our stakeholders,​" said Galletti.

Tattooed Chef Chief Creative Officer Sarah Galletti added that the company -- which makes a range of frozen meals including 'Buddha Bowls' and 'Cauliflower Buffalo Burgers' -- sees an opportunity to introduce "nostalgic innovation into the plant-based food space" ​by leveraging the increased production space and capacity from the acquisition.

"We are confident in creating new products, pushing past our existing product line and into new spaces, and we are comfortable producing food in any category. We have a pipeline of different and innovative ideas we can’t wait to share in the coming months such as alternative tortillas using plant-based ingredients.

"We also plan to introduce innovative meals and snacks, in both frozen and ambient. Get ready, this is an exciting time at Tattooed Chef, and we are just getting started," ​Sarah Galletti said. 

With the acquisition, the company updated its full year 2021 guidance from $235m to $242m in total revenue and gross margin in the range of 20% to 25%, representing an increase of 58% to 63% compared to 2020. 

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Replacement Isn't the Future. Variety Is.

Replacement Isn't the Future. Variety Is.

Content provided by ADM | 22-Mar-2024 | White Paper

Successfully navigating the intersection of food and technology can help your business meet evolving consumer demands.

Consumer Attitudes on Ultra-Processed Foods Revealed

Consumer Attitudes on Ultra-Processed Foods Revealed

Content provided by Ayana Bio | 12-Jan-2024 | White Paper

Ayana Bio conducted the Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) Pulse survey, offering insight into consumers’ willingness to consume UPFs, as well as the variables...

Future Food-Tech San Francisco, March 21-22, 2024

Future Food-Tech San Francisco, March 21-22, 2024

Content provided by Rethink Events Ltd | 11-Jan-2024 | Event Programme

Future Food-Tech is the go-to meeting place for the food-tech industry to collaborate towards a healthier food system for people and planet.

Palate Predictions: Top Flavor Trends for 2024

Palate Predictions: Top Flavor Trends for 2024

Content provided by T. Hasegawa USA | 08-Jan-2024 | Application Note

As consumers seek increased value and experience from food and beverages, the industry relies on research to predict category trends. Studying trends that...

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars