Luvo

Luvo Inc., founded in 2011, is a Vancouver-based gourmet food company specializing in frozen meals and other products. The company's core focus is on providing nutrient-rich, quality food in a frozen format. Luvo utilizes a patented steam-cook method that heats food in paper packaging, preserving its nutritional value. In 2018, Luvo began shifting its focus toward performance and sports nutrition, developing recipes to fuel active lifestyles. The company refers to this new direction as "frozen food 4.0," emphasizing whole-food nutrition rather than one-dimensional claims. Luvo's products are designed to be nutritionally balanced meals that help consumers feel better, created by doctors, registered dietitians, and chefs. As of February 2022, the company rebranded as Performance Kitchen to better communicate the functional benefits of food as a viable health management tool. Performance Kitchen's product line includes medically tailored frozen meals, which are paired with diagnostic codes used by insurers to cover some or all of the cost for meals that meet dietary requirements for certain chronic conditions. The company has expanded its offerings to include culturally-relevant meals, allowing consumers to select healthy options that fit their lifestyle and heritage. In November 2018, Dugout Ventures, an investment group formed by former major league baseball stars, purchased a majority stake in Luvo.

Key customers and partnerships

Performance Kitchen has partnered with several insurers, including Medicare and Medicaid, to provide medically tailored meals. The company has also worked with healthcare providers to prescribe bundles of their frozen meals to patients. In July 2016, Luvo's products became available on all Air Canada flights, marking their second airline partnership after Delta Air Lines. The company's products were widely distributed in grocery stores nationwide in the US, which accounted for 70% of Luvo's business in 2016. In Canada, Luvo's products were available in over 6,000 grocery stores across chains such as IGA, Whole Foods, Loblaws, and Sobeys.