Food Subscription Boxes

Hello Fresh

As anyone with a 9-5 job will know, doing a weekly shop is the stuff of nightmares and nipping to the local ‘convenience’ store after work is a far more likely scenario. That’s where Hello Fresh comes in, promising to replace hastily bought microwave lasagne with precisely measured out ingredients to make healthier meals without using too much of your precious grey matter. There are new recipes to choose from each week, and each meal takes between 20-50 minutes to prepare.

The Pros

The pros here are obvious, with not having to stand in the checkout queue coming out as the most appealing. The fact that Hello Fresh suggests recipes (some regular, some weekly additions) takes a lot of the effort out of deciding what to have for dinner too. After having a play around on the website, you can customise a plan based on your dietary requirements and budget. Portion sizes come precisely measured, so rogue vegetables festering at the back of the fridge can be consigned to the bin of history. For those who claim that expense is a barrier to eating food that contains anything remotely natural, meal plans start from £4 per person, so there goes that excuse.

The Cons

In an age of short attention spans, the idea of choosing a meal in advance and sticking to it is contrary to the 24/7 culture of endless choice, so commitment-phobes be warned. If you’re feeling particularly peckish, you’re stuck to a one-size-fits-all portion size as well, so you may end up troubling your snack cupboard rather more often than you’d like. You can’t feed the five thousand either, as Hello Fresh only caters for two or four people (sorry, singletons), so the service is no silver bullet for catering en masse.

Pasta Evangelists

We’re yet to meet anyone we fully trust who doesn’t like pasta. And, while we’re happy enough to tuck into the dried stuff, fresh is obviously best. Enter Pasta Evangelists, a subscription service which will make proper penne a staple rather than a rare restaurant treat. This proudly carb-heavy service offers a saliva-inducing weekly delivery box containing fresh pasta, sauces and garnishes.