Hello Fresh customers - have they got worse?

[chocolateequinox]

Has anybody else had problems recently?

They were great for our first weeks but the last four weeks we have had damaged items - twice packs of expensive meat have been split open and so not fit to eat, last week we had the wrong ingredients and got one meal twice but minus the meat for the second the one. This week the pot of soured cream was damaged.

I can go and buy another pot of cream but I wish they'd just fix it so it doesn't happen. They don't seem bothered, it's just 'here's some credit for your next order'. Packing a pot of soured cream in a bag with ice packs isn't going to end well!

I've had seven boxes now and so has my DD. Only problem I've had is the spring onion missing, but there was enough as there was one in another recipe. This week I've had three in one recipe pack. I had a missing garlic too, but I have loads, so not a problem. My DD has had no problems. We really enjoy them and have learnt a lot.

OMG yes! We’ve been saying the same. Last couple of boxes have contained vegetables way past their best including mould, chicken that when I opened was not fit for use - stunk the kitchen out I’ve cancelled my subscription because it just wasn’t fulfilling it’s ‘no waste’ premise with me chucking things away!

We tried it for a month in April/May and ended it because they missed ingredients for more than half the dishes and the stuff they did sent (fruit/veg) was pretty manky. Definitely didn’t live up to the ‘fresh’ part of their name. A real disappointment and we won’t use them again.

Yep. I dip in and out of HF, hadn't had it in a while but got a 40% off voucher so ordered a couple boxes. First delivery was delayed a day last minute, several ingredients missing, mislabelling, had some compensation so got a third box and that one had one meal with only 2 (small) chicken breasts for 4 people.

Also finding the meal choices lacking and hate how so many of the chicken dishes use chicken thighs instead of breast which I'm not a fan of.

So won't be using again for a while, I appreciate it may be difficult times.

We have experienced the same with gousto! We've been ordering every week since January and had no problems, however, all of May was horrendous with the exact same problems you have described. We've cancelled now but we are still using their recipe cards for inspiration.

Yes we had 8 weeks worth recently. The last couple of weeks definitely weren't as good - numerous missing items, delivery day changed. We ended up canceling. Would like to go back to it in the future as I do like the concept - we have a nice bank of new recipies to use weekly as a result of our subscription!

I don't like chicken thighs either, they are too fatty.

@chocolateequinox yes same, I was annoyed one of the meals was supposed to be breast but they sent thighs instead

I don't use boxes but am I alone that's staggered that people choose tasteless breast over thigh?!?! Chicken legs have all the flavour! Breasts are only good for things that are overpowering of the flavour of chicken- curries, chillis Etc. Though even then. Thigh would be better

We've had them for over a year and generally don't have any problems with them. Have had the odd occasion when something is missing/gone off but they always credit quite generously.

@waitingforadulthood I absolutely hate gristle of any kind, I trim chicken breast within an inch of its life so it's just pure meat. Pre cut thigh has all the gross stuff on that is too fiddly to cut and then I don't enjoy eating it as I'm always expecting a gristly bit. I enjoy picking thigh meat off a a roast chicken carcus when I can pick at the yummy bits!

My chicken thigh tends to come out a bit chewy too as I over cook but appreciate that's my problem!

We has thisnproblem with hello fresh last year. Always an ingredient past its best so couldn't rely on it fir ameal.

Weve tried gousto and rpeferred it and the recipes seem easy to replicate.

We've restrated for next week! 🤞

We stopped as didn’t like the chicken thigh they supplied. We used to have to buy our own chicken breasts to replace.

I found this with Gousto. Switched to Simply Cook instead. Cheaper and really tasty. Buy my own ingredients - for example for a curry I'd buy the meat and a tin of coconut milk or tinned toms.

Oh no Titsy! We were lucky with gousto but that was pre lockdown.

We arent going into supermarkets - so having it all in a box is part of the appeal.

@chooseausername

We have experienced the same with gousto! We've been ordering every week since January and had no problems, however, all of May was horrendous with the exact same problems you have described. We've cancelled now but we are still using their recipe cards for inspiration.

@chooseausername when you cancelled gousto did they try and tempt you back with a discount?

Same with Gousto - I have skipped the last several weeks.

Throughout some of April and all of May they reduced their menu to be able to supply more boxes - basically they took on too many customers and decided to piss off their long standing customers to meet the needs of the new customers! I was struggling to find meals that we wanted so just ended up skipping each week and haven't bothered to order since then.

I was also finding ingredients damaged or totally missing, poor quality and fatty meat. I also started getting bored of their lack of variety, they kept using the same things each week or starting pushing more vegan stuff!!

Might go back at some point but not at the moment. Just using the old recipes to recreate at home.

Yup. It's gone up in price (we used them before) and veg very manly and thus just too expensive. £12 for a veggie curry for two? Nope

My hometown has one of their distribution warehouses. Apparently once lockdown started they were getting so many more orders they had to take on extra staff who are mostly untrained temps. Work conditions are pretty crappy too - according to the local paper.

Oh. Id reatarted my subscription with Gousto. I'll see how it goes.

They shouldn't offer a service (either G or HG) they cant provide when the whole point is a fresh meal with all ingredients! Especially at a time we cant nip to the shop for anything missing.

I was going to try a different company but I couldn't find one that does six meals or has the variety that HF does. I'm giving it a month to see if it improves as people are going out more and will then decide.

@hennel Yes, when cancelling they offered 20% off the next two boxes but we still cancelled. I was getting annoyed at having to go to the shops to replace missing or damaged goods. They give some money back but it still doesn't stop the hassle.

It’s a shame, as I likes the variety of HF and their recipe cards are easier to follow than a booklet.

Just had this week's delivery, a pack of soy sauce has leaked over several bags, ruined the garlic and the pack of chicken to do a dinner and a lunch was split open and covered in soy sauce. Complaining to them is becoming a weekly occurrence now.

This week I had a missing recipe card, no garlic which was meant to be in 2 recipes.

Previous week missing barbecue sauce, kidney beans instead of black beans

box before that there was definitely something missing but would need to check what..

Its annoying. Point of getting a meal kit box is I don't have to keep going to the shops