Food is so many people’s love language; who doesn't love cooking for or with their loved one by their side? Or trying out new restaurants or food markets together? Even though we love a date night out on the tiles, the cost of living and general busyness can often result in having to eat at home. In fact, experts over at HelloFresh have found that nearly half of Brits (46 per cent) are ditching romantic meals out this year and cooking at home, favouring homemade dishes over pricier restaurant outings. This is where delivery meal kits come to the rescue.
Delivery meal kits have risen in popularity in recent years (they enjoyed a surge during lockdown when restaurants were shut) as they have taken away the pressure of having to figure out and plan what to cook with pre-measured and pre-prepared ingredients and step-by-step guides. Your favourite restaurants have even got involved, packaging up their favourite meals and sending them out so you can cook exactly the same dish in your own home.
They have also proven to be a convenient alternative to having to go to the local supermarket for a weekly shop and then having to create a dish yourself because, let's be real, fitting that around life is hard.
If you already know how to cook up a storm in the kitchen, or have never cooked a fancy meal before and definitely need a helping hand, we've rounded up all the different delivery meal kits and recipe boxes to give you all the inspiration to put your chef hat on again.
Best Delivery Meal Kits
Best for breakfast
store.dishoom.com
Mumbai-inspired restaurant Dishoom is one of the most well-known places to eat in the UK. Not everyone is lucky enough to live near a Dishoom (or bag a table), but you can now sample their most popular dishes at home, including the iconic Bacon Naan. The 'at-home' cookery kit, comes complete with all the ingredients (and the know-how) to create Bacon Naan Rolls in your own kitchen at any time of day. Plus Chai spices and loose-leaf tea are included to make delicious Dishoom chai for two.
Pros
- Vegan option available
- Order by 10am for next-day delivery
Cons
- Made to be enjoyed within 24 hours
Best for restaurant quality
plan.pastaevangelists.com
Making fresh pasta is a lengthy process at home, which is where Pasta Evangelists come in to help. Get fresh pasta and sauces delivered to your home and get preparing a delicious and authentic restaurant-quality Italian dish in as little as five minutes. The meal kits can be a one-off takeaway or you can treat yourself weekly with a subscription.
If you're stuck for pasta dish inspiration, you'll never be disappointed as you can choose from varieties of handmade pasta from across Italy’s 20 regions, and the menu changes on a weekly basis. Bellissimo! Don't forget to check out the student discount, gift options and refer-a-friend deals.
Pros
- Option to freeze for use up to a month
- Highly rated by customers
Cons
- Bit more pricey per portion
Customer review: "This has to be one of the best food delivery companies I have tried. The quality is superb as is the choice. Fresh and tasty every time and the customer communication is also excellent. Thoroughly recommend to everyone."
3.
Gousto
Best all-round delivery meal kit
www.gousto.co.uk
Gousto is one of the UK's leading delivery meal kits that help with busy lifestyles. The extensive menu offers over 60 different recipes to choose from on a weekly basis, including tasty Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free Options, and Joe Wicks' Lean In 15 recipes. The meals all come pre-prepared and include easy-to-follow recipe cards that you can keep in a handy folder. They are constantly offering codes for your first few boxes, so keep an eye out.
Pros
- Pause or cancel any time
- Lots of recipe options
Cons
- Some found meat portions could be more generous
Customer review: "I have been having meals from Gousto every week for over a year. Have found the meals fabulous and so delicious. A real variety to choose from and have had no problem with the ingredients. There is always a text if a substitution is needed. Boxes always arrive in the correct time slot. If any problems the chat function enables you to log this and someone gets back to sort it quickly. Would highly recommend it - it has so changed meal times for the better."
4.
Oddbox
Best fruit and veg delivery kit
www.oddbox.co.uk
Food waste is a huge problem and many are often overbuying fruit and vegetables at the supermarket that we will inevitably throw away at the end of the week. Get delicious fruit and veg that are deemed 'odd' or 'not good enough' to buy in your supermarket delivered straight to your door, including the odd curvy cucumber. Choose a size that fits you and your family, get information from the farmers that grow the veg, and choose from weekly or fortnightly deliveries (delivered overnight to reduce emissions).
Pros
- Much more sustainable and eco-friendly option
- Choice of box sizes and delivery options
Cons
- Some customers considered it to be cheaper to buy from the shop
Customer review: "I have just started with 'Oddbox' and taken delivery of my second fortnightly veg box. The produce is great quality and lots of it.🙂 As a vegan family we eat loads of veg and now I have changed my box to weekly which was easy and fuss-free. Oddbox notifies us of box contents each week and I can swap out items if needed. The weekly add-ons are also a bonus if you fancy something extra or FREE. What's not to like? 😁"
5.
Mindful Chef
Best health conscious delivery meal kit
www.mindfulchef.com
Mindful Chef really puts wellness at the top of the list, as the top-rated service uses only 100 per cent free-range, ethically sourced British meat and sustainably caught fish to deliver fresh, nutritionist-designed recipes to your doorstep wherever you're based in the UK. If you're looking to make better choices, this one is for you.
TOP TIP: Look out for brand and chef collaborations and monthly codes and discounts to save you money.
Pros
- Pause, skip or cancel any time
- Quality, healthy recipes
Cons
- Some wished there was a 3-person option. There are currently options for 1, 2 and 4-person households
Customer review: "Quality of ingredients is excellent. Lovely recipes. Everything is packed well in a recyclable box
Highly recommend."
6.
HelloFresh
Editor's Choice
www.hellofresh.co.uk
You've all heard the adverts, right? HelloFresh is one of the UK's leading meal delivery services, and for good reason. There are loads of different options, from weeknight meals that take under 20 minutes to premium three-course options. You can even add extras like wine, sides, and desserts for special occasions. Every week, you can choose how many people you are catering for (perfect for visitors), how many recipes you would like (from 3-5) and choose dietary requirements. They've even started to do special breakfast and lunch recipes.
Pros
- Very flexible
- Lots of recipe choices
Cons
- Some found they had ingredients missing from time to time
Tried and tested by Hannah Mellin, Commercial Content Writer, "I was lucky enough to trial Hello Fresh's romantic Valentine's Day meal that was made up of two fish main courses, a chocolate dessert and a unique cheesy naan mushroom starter. This isn't the first time I've tried Hello Fresh but it's been a while, and I'm so pleased it's still as fresh as ever. No products were missing and everything was top quality and simply, delicious. I love that you can add more ingredients if you want to (potatoes, for example) and the variety of menu choices really do smash it out of the park."
7.
Simply Cook
Best value for money delivery kit
www.simplycook.com
Simply Cook helps you create incredible meals from scratch using items from your fridge and cupboards. Great for those who don't want to worry about having to eat meals within a certain time limit. You'll get sent pre-weighed ingredients along with 20-minute recipe cards and each package is letterbox-sized, so you don't need to worry about missing a delivery.
It's great value for money too, with each £9.99 box containing four recipe kits and delivery thrown in for just £1. You can choose portion sizes of 2-3 or 4+ people and don't have to commit to a membership like some meal kits on this list; you can order as many or as few boxes as you like. The brand almost always offers you a discount on your first order.
Pros
- Quick 20-minute meals
- Available to pause or cancel any time
Cons
- You need to select your recipes in time, otherwise these will be selected for you
Customer review: “I like that you buy the fresh ingredients separately when you're ready to cook the meal, as it's meant less waste.”
8.
Planty
Best vegan delivery meal kit
planty.uk
Even though most delivery meal services have vegan choices, there are only a few that cater entirely to vegans. Planty is a new service that brings frozen meals to your door. You can choose from creamy pasta dishes without the cream, burrito bowls, warm curries and stunning risottos. The brand is doing everything it can to help the plant, from carbon-neutral deliveries to using recyclable and compostable packaging.
Use code GOPLANTS for 20 per cent off your first box!
Pros
- Flexible to pause, change or cancel any time
- Convenient ready meals - no prep required
Cons
- Some found the portion sizes to be a little on the small side
Customer review: "These meals are absolutely delicious and so convenient for those days when I don't feel like cooking. We found having them in the freezer really cut down on our deliveroo costs. The food is amazing, I am a huge fan of curries and they have nailed them, the spice is perfect and the flavours are wonderful. I am so excited to try their new dishes. Always impressed."
FAQs
Are Delivery Meal Kits Worth It?
There are a lot of positives to using a weekly delivery meal kit service. These include:
• Saving money on your weekly shop
• Less waste. Many meal kits come pre-portioned so you will make use of everything
• If you're sticking to a healthy eating plan, tracking protein and calories is super easy
• Varied diet. We're all guilty of cooking the same old things we're used to
• Trying new recipes from around the world will open your tastebuds to new flavours
However, delivery meal kits do have a best-before date, so you will need to make sure you're around to cook them, which is great if you know you're going to be home. Not so great if you're partial to last-minute evening plans. Most subscription plans will let you pause or freeze your deliveries if you're going away, but you will need to tell them in advance, so it is important to keep on top of things if you're choosing a delivery service.
In terms of disadvantages, many have found that even though some brands have proved to be cheaper than a supermarket, it does all add up so they instead use meal kits as a treat instead of all the time. The main negative that reviewers encountered was the environmental impact. Some of the boxes contain non-recyclable packaging which should be taken into consideration when ordering.