I don't get 'hello fresh'

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Some friends of ours raved about hello fresh, do when they offered us a free box we jumped at the chance. But I just don't get it! I've had my 4 meals delivered and other than it bring pre-portioned out I don't see how it's easier than just making Ng your. Own stuff. I assumed that the meat and veg would come pre-prepped, peeled, chopped etc. But they don't! I'm still chopping peeling and mashing stuff. And I still have to do the weekly shop as it's only 4 evening meals.

Is it just that I'm not their target market? We cook from scratch anyway and I know how to cook. Is this aimed at ready meal/ take away/ freezer food every night people?

I'm a decent cook, but fuck me the monotony of the Sunday night "what a re we eating this week?" followed by a series of shrugs and sighs drove me up the wall.

Hello Fresh is absolutely dire in my opinion, but Gousto is decent, and if you go outside your usual repertoire you find some new and interesting meals. They send you a lovely little folder and you store all the recipes, and can go back to them at your leisure.

I've found so many cookbooks necessitate trips to special shops etc, Gousto tends to have a max of 10 ingredients, some of which are your basic onion / garlic / chicken etc, so you'd only need a few extra bits to make some really lovely meals.

I had a freebie too. I'm an experienced home cook so would never have considered it otherwise.

Food was good, horrified with the amount of packaging. One ingredient missing from each meal (blue cheese for a pear and blue cheese salad) two items had leaked.

I don't believe the kind of people ordering from meal kit companies don't have the time to browse the internet for 10 minutes and come up with meals plans of their own. Then easily order a home supermarket delivery/collection.

Total piss take.

I have tried Gousto on the initial offer. It was fun for a change, but I didn't feel excited by the meals. Like pp, we cook from scratch a lot anyway. Also I don't think the price should be as high for veggie meals! I am going to try a Hello Fresh just for the offer, but the packaging puts me off ordering frequently.

I do it to try new dishes and because they come portioned for two I get no waste (with food I make I end up with half a can of chickpeas, half a can of chopped tomatoes etc

DP liked them, as everything he needed was in the box, along with good instructions. It also got him to try some new things, rather than having to have the idea in the first place, seek out the ingredients/travel beyond the small store 250 yards away/spend more than two and a half minutes in a large supermarket and then make it. However, they are expensive.

I'm more of a stare into the fridge/cupboard and make something up on the spot/go shopping and think of multiple recipes as I'm in the supermarket person, so I don't need them - but I have been in exactly one large supermarket in the last year and that looked as though it was better placed as a filming location for when the hero breaks into a supermarket six months after the Zombie Apocalypse.

I might have another look at them, though, as our food variety seems to be decreasing now I can't go on my wanders at the weekend and, much as I like good vegetables and a protein source, it's in danger of becoming him buying something in breadcrumbs and boiling some potatoes or stuff on toast every single evening.

I use hello fresh. I started using it primarily because I couldn't get any supermarket delivery slots. I dont take a blind bit of notice of the recipes and just sling stuff together and put the excess in a tray for the next day. Stuff I dont use is given to our local community fridge.
I know its an expensive way of doing it, but I cant cope with supermarkets with/without a mask.

I am a competent cook, I always cook from fresh, and I'm fairly adventurous. I love hello fresh because it takes the mental load and decision making away from mid week dinners. The recipes are simple and tasty, the whole family love them, I can get dinner on the table for everyone by 6pm after work and I don't have to think about what to cook, I just get the next bag out of the fridge

I have saved money as im not going to the shops buying crap. I'm always popping into the shop and overspend. Since hellofresh we have saved money and we dont waste food as you get the right amount. I do enjoy it 😀

@CinnamonStar

I am like you OP, it doesn't really add any value for me.

But I suppose it depends which part of the meal provision process you find onerous.

I quite like meal planning, and have no difficulty picking up what I need at the supermarket.

I enjoy reading cookery books and magazines for ideas of different things to cook.

I don't worry about ending up with extra portions/ leftover ingredients - I just incorporate them into the plan for the next days' meals, or I just cook what I have rather than caring about following a recipe too slavishly.

On the other hand, I find the actual cooking part a bit of a drag sometimes - and these box schemes don't help with that part.

When I can't be bothered, I buy something I can just stick in the oven, or I buy a Scratch meal kit (stir fries etc with everything pre-chopped)

I can see that if the bit you don't enjoy is the planning or shopping, these boxes must be totally worth it.

I think you've nailed it here. I couldn't be doing with the enormous amount of packaging waste. I'm also not in the least bothered by the idea of having some herbs or spices left over, as then I've got them for another time. I also can't see what's the difference between looking through the Gusto/Hello Fresh website and picking a recipe and browsing Allrecipes or BBC Good Food for a few minutes and picking out something you like the sound of. So it sounds like it comes down to the convenience of having a box of ingredients delivered, which is the least onerous part of the whole process for me. I have it all delivered anyway.

Their advert is targeting me on Youtube and i seen 100 times. She makes it like it is incredibly hard to buy food and we are all idiots to buy stuff from supermarket as in bigger packs 🙄 make me want to throw the tablet to the wall !!!

Its the answer for those of us who can't cope with masks and get judged for it, when out and about shopping.
Its the answer for those of us who are phobic of lots of people, large spaces and looming shelves.

CinnamonStar. Yes! I think that's it. For me the planning and shopping aren't onerous, but the peeling and chopping are.

I love love love cooking
I hate hate hate meal planning and buying food

I am their perfect target market. And I love it

Interesting - I'm awaiting my first Hello Fresh because my friend gave me a code and with disabilities even before Covid, thinking of something new and easy to cook isn't happening, especially when the supermarket is missing most interesting foods.

I hope I don't get a squash though - I'd never be able to chop one myself and the 8yo is probably a bit small for it.

I’ve done 6 months hello fresh. The planning what to make/monitoring ingredients in fridge/ shopping (closest supermarket 15-20mins away) is the bit I don’t have energy for.
I can chop things and recipes have been easy/ quick to cook. Also 12 year old can do them!
Thought we would have stopped by now but will go a bit longer!

Caramelsmadfuzzytail but what about lunches, breakfast, snacks and household items? It isn't the answer to those. I've barely stepped foot in a supermarket for years though.

It’s for people who don’t know how to cook or what to cook.

Really crazy that it’s so popular.

@RickiTarr

It’s for people who don’t know how to cook or what to cook.

Really crazy that it’s so popular.

What's really crazy is that some people are as judgemental as you

I love it. Thinking of what to cook for tea in 3 days time is my worst chore. But I'm the kind of person who sometimes has cereal or sandwiches for tea, so maybe it's more aimed at my end of the cooking spectrum.

@Jackparlabane I could select my meals for my first order. I just had to log in and edit their pre selection

What's really crazy is that some people are as judgemental as you

Maybe I’m being too dismissive but I don’t see it. Can you please explain the unique selling point it provides?

Once in my lost youth, I worked with product launches for a few years and this one wouldn’t have looked like a goer to me. I suppose things moved on in that time, but as PP said, I’d have thought prepped ingredients would be needed to make this a real time-saver and worth it for the price.

Happy to be enlightened.

@Conditionconditioncondition

I love love love cooking I hate hate hate meal planning and buying food

I am their perfect target market. And I love it

Me too

Im happy to mindlessly chop shit up and sling it in a pan. Meal planning makes me want to jump off a bloody bridge. Plus I live in the arse end of nowhere and supermarkets (even the deliveries) are shit and you can’t buy anything more exotic than sodding soy sauce.

So yeah, it does depend which bit you hate.

Plus for me I tend to eat healthier stuff, but over eat, so measured portions have meant I didn’t put too much weight on during lockdowns.

I liked it very much. Effortless way to get other members of the family to help with making meals. And it's fresh! Good food, overpriced but works as an activity for ambitious teens.
It's a bit too pricey to do without an offer though.

I think it's helping people get introduced to cooking proper meals from scratch. And it lets you try out a new dish and prevents waste of ingredients you'd never use again (spices, flour, herbs, etc)

We are a family of six so it just doesn't work for us. I did look at it tonight but I don't really get the appeal. I enjoy the meal planning and shopping. Time to cook is my biggest limitation and this does not help with that so it doesn't really help at all.