Gousto founder and chief executive Timo Boldt is to step down from the meal kit business after almost 15 years at the helm.

Boldt will leave his day-to-day CEO role and transition to become a board director, with an executive search firm appointed to find his successor.

The process will consider both internal and external candidates, with an appointment expected in the first half of 2027. Boldt will continue to lead Gousto through the transition.

In a message to staff, Boldt said Gousto had reached a point where it “no longer depends on its founder” and was in a strong position for the future.

“I have always believed that the best founders build companies that can thrive without them,” he said.

Boldt launched Gousto in 2012 after identifying an opportunity to make home cooking easier through pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards. He initially prepared and delivered the meal kits himself.

Since then, the business has grown to deliver more than 80 million meals a year and generate annual revenue of more than £340m.

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Gousto reported a 10 per cent increase in revenue to £342m for 2025, while adjusted EBITDA rose 7 per cent to a record £45m. The business also generated positive free cashflow for the second consecutive year.

The leadership change comes as Gousto continues to broaden its proposition beyond its traditional recipe box model and compete more directly for the mainstream dinner occasion.

The business launched its first ready meal range, Heat & Eat, in August, following growth across its convenience-focused ranges. It has also expanded into Ireland and increased its recipe choice to around 500 meals a month.

Gousto has faced operational pressures alongside this expansion. In June, it announced proposals to close its Clay Lake production site in Lincolnshire, putting around 290 jobs at risk, as it sought to consolidate manufacturing at its Warrington facility.

The company said the move would create a simpler and more efficient operating model while allowing it to continue investing in its proposition and pricing.

Boldt’s successor will therefore take over a business that is shifting from founder-led scale-up to its next phase of growth, with profitability, operational efficiency and expansion of its mainstream dinner proposition central to its strategy.