The London Tech Startups Making Home Delivery Meal Kits Easy and Convenient

In recent years, a new trend has emerged in the culinary world – recipe meal-kit delivery companies. These innovative services have revolutionised the way people cook at home by providing pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step instructions for preparing delicious meals. With their convenience, customisation options, and focus on sustainability, recipe meal-kit delivery companies have become a popular choice for individuals and families in London & across the globe seeking to simplify their cooking routines while still enjoying high-quality meals. 

This Innovation Snapshot explores the concept and evolution of these companies and highlights some key innovators / startups in the London food tech industry.  

The concept of recipe meal-kit delivery began around a decade ago. Pioneering companies like Blue Apron and HelloFresh recognised a gap in the market for convenient and accessible home-cooking solutions. These companies aimed to address common challenges faced by home cooks, such as meal planning, grocery shopping, and recipe selection. By delivering pre-measured ingredients and detailed cooking instructions directly to customers’ doorsteps, they simplified the cooking process and brought gourmet-style meals within reach of even novice cooks.

One of the primary advantages of recipe meal-kit delivery services is the convenience they offer. Customers no longer need to spend time planning meals, making shopping lists, and searching for recipes. The kits provide all the necessary ingredients, often sourced from local and sustainable suppliers, reducing food waste and eliminating the need to purchase full-sized quantities of specialty items. Additionally, these services cater to various dietary preferences and restrictions, with customisable meal options, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and more.

The rise of recipe meal-kit delivery companies has had a significant impact on the broader food industry. These companies often partner with local farmers, suppliers, and food artisans, fostering a stronger connection between consumers and the sources of their food. This trend has contributed to the growth of sustainable and ethical food practices, as meal-kit companies prioritise environmentally friendly packaging, reduce food waste, and promote locally sourced ingredients.

Now let’s look at a few innovators / startups offering recipe meal-kit delivery services in London; 

Simplycook

Simplycook is a subscription-based recipe service that delivers dry ingredients and recipe cards to your door. With SimplyCook, you can cook delicious, restaurant-quality meals at home in just 20 minutes.

SimplyCook offers a wide variety of recipes, from classic dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala to more adventurous options like Thai Basil Stir-Fry. All of the recipes are easy to follow and require only a few simple ingredients.

Gousto

Gousto is a subscription recipe-box service that provides customers with all the ingredients in the right proportions to cook meals at home. The produce is organic, fresh, and seasonal.

The recipes are developed by passionate chefs and tested by their friends and families first. Customers also get to choose the recipes online, and every week selection is updated to make sure there are plenty of new recipes for you.

Lollipop

Lollipop is a London-based smart grocery shopping assistant app that helps customers plan, shop and cook meals at supermarket prices. The platform allows people to build meal plans from recipes, assembling the ingredients automatically into their shopping baskets, and suggesting remaining household essentials. Lollipop also helps with health goals, improve culinary skills and minimise food waste. It offers convenient ways to find recipe inspiration, meal plans and get groceries delivered in a ride.

AllPlants

Allplants is a plant-based meal delivery service that aims to inspire the planet to eat more plants. Allplants offers a variety of chef-prepared, plant-based meals that are delivered to customers’ homes. 

The meals are made with fresh, high-quality ingredients and are designed to be both delicious and nutritious. Allplants is also committed to sustainability, and its packaging is recyclable or compostable.In addition to its meal delivery service, Allplants also offers a variety of other plant-based products, including cookbooks, snacks, and protein powders.