Recipe box offers
Most recipe box services offer an introductory offer so you can try it out before paying full price. Here are the latest offers*:
*Subject to availability and T&Cs. Offers correct at time of writing.
How do food delivery boxes and recipe meal subscriptions work?
A food delivery box will contain pre-cooked meals you can eat after a spin in the microwave or a blast in the oven. Recipe boxes include a step-by-step recipe and the ingredients to make it, but you must combine them and cook them.
A subscription to either of these convenient ways to eat will require a regular, automatic payment and a weekly or fortnightly delivery of all your meals. Most companies will remind you to choose which meals you want and the portion size required a couple of days before they are delivered.
Some food delivery services, such as Pasta Evangelists, don’t need a subscription. So if you have a busy week coming up or fancy a Saturday night treat, you can order as a one-off.
Your meals or ingredients will likely arrive in insulated packaging. Cooling technology will be used where appropriate. Often, it is possible to choose a day and time for delivery. However, small businesses may only have one delivery day in your area.
Is it cheaper to buy ingredients from the supermarket?
Yes, shopping for and cooking your own recipes will be cheaper. However, recipe boxes are still great if you enjoy saving time, eating well, cooking imaginatively, and introducing your children to new foods.
If waste is an issue when you cook adventurously, food recipe boxes will prevent that. They will send just the right amount of spices, herbs and veg for each meal. You will also save the petrol needed for endless supermarket runs, an excellent boost for your pocket and the environment.
What is the cheapest and healthiest food delivery service?
Our best recipe box for value is HelloFresh, especially if you choose their family option, which works out at just £3.15 per meal. The service also allows you to change your subscription plan, so if the kids are away with their grandparents for a week, you can adjust the number of meals you need.
Fresh food delivery boxes can be as healthy or indulgent as your choice of recipes. That said, most recipe boxes will be designed to provide a balanced meal with plenty of veg, lean protein and sensible portion sizes. Riverford Organic Farmers are particularly good at family recipe boxes using high-quality ingredients such as rainbow veg sourced at their organic farm.
Which meal delivery service is the best for vegetarians?
When you’re vegetarian or vegan, food boxes delivered to your door can be a fantastic way to discover nutritious new foods and delicious recipes. Our picks of the best recipe boxes have vegetarian options, and most have vegan choices too, though these are often limited. Mindful Chef has one of the most extensive ranges of non-meat recipes.
If your family is all vegetarian or plant-based, choose a food delivery service that caters exclusively to your dietary needs. Companies such as Allplants and Grubby are focused on producing healthy, balanced and exciting recipes so you won’t feel like an afterthought.
How we chose our recommendations
To find the best recipe box delivery service, we scoured all the most recent reviews to see what food lovers and nutritionists were saying and what was new to the market. Then, we assessed them against our criteria for what we’d choose for our own families.
We then sought out the parents' advice on the Mumsnet forums to discover what recipe boxes they had subscribed to, what they thought and if they were still using them. We also made notes on any that hadn’t impressed Mumsnetters and why.
From there, we consulted in-depth reviews on expert websites. We then collated both lists to develop a shortlist of recipe boxes that had won industry awards, accolades and applause from real parents. We also chose food delivery services representing the best menu choices, nutrition, and value for money.
Why you should trust us
Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000, and, in that time, we've investigated, tried and reviewed thousands of products.
We strive to provide honest and independent advice you can trust, and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find amazing products that real parents love.
As a mother keen to provide her family with delicious and nutritious meals and who appreciates value for money and not spending hours food shopping and cooking, our writer Gemma was determined to find the best recipe boxes UK food delivery services provide.
Transparency is vital to us, and that's why we're always honest about where we find our recommendations. We write about products we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones our users recommend to their friends and family.