Recipe box companies like Gousto, HelloFresh and Mindful Chef took great leaps forward during lockdown. That was always going to happen. People had time, were happy to avoid shops, and – in some cases – there was money to spend.
Sales have dropped back a little since, but recipe boxes remain significant players, especially amongst younger audiences and in cities like London. They are way more popular than pre-Covid.
Why are consumers using them? And what can the rest of the industry learn from their popularity?
1. Planning
How can we make weekly meal planning a more positive experience? For many consumers, deciding what meals to have in the next few days isn’t fun. We’re tired of the same old things, but cautious about branching out – knowing that when the moment comes to cook, we’ll be low on energy and keen to get it over and done with.
For recipe box customers, planning is far better. Scroll the screen, look at the food photos, choose. It’s more like the menu moment in a restaurant. M&S shows you can bring together attractive meal ideas in stores, and Sainsbury’s is trying to inspire via screens at fixture. But in many UK stores, there is not enough inspiration for meal planning.
2. Preparation
How can we make the meal preparation experience into something more aspirational? Box companies offer excellent step-by-step instructions, effectively upskilling people.
Using boxes has just a hint of the cookery course about it. Weeknights become less about the slog of getting the job done, and more about becoming a slightly better (more skilled) person.
Supermarkets were there first with the original recipe cards, but they have fallen behind. In the world of AI, could they not be more imaginative in helping consumers cook?
3. Customisation
How can we make it easier for shoppers to customise meals? Beware of too much time visualising “family meals” – the classic scene of four around a table, all eating the same stuff. It’s rarely the reality. Household sizes vary. Individuals have their own tastes.
Gousto allows you to order meals for one, two, three, four or five people. It lets you select meals according to what kitchen equipment you have. HelloFresh allows you to swap proteins in and out and specify the quantity of protein. Mindful Chef lets you filter meals according to diets.
All three offer a wide range of cuisines. This is real customisation – it’s hard for stores to match, but it is very attractive to shoppers.
Offer consumers real help with main meals, and you’re a long way to being a great food company. Recipe boxes offer clues. Make meal planning less of a chore and meal preparation more aspirational.
Jeremy Garlick, partner at Insight Traction
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