Gousto wins Grocer Gold as mainstream pivot drives record volumes

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Gousto

Winner: Gousto

In 10 years Gousto has grown annual net salesfrom under £1m to over £300m, a compound annual growth rate of 80% . But post-Covid trading has been tough for the recipe kit market, which has been broadly static as the wider economy flatlined. In response, Gousto prioritised profits and cash generation over sales growth in 2023 and 2024, but at the start of 2025 it decided it had to repivot back to topline growth. The plan “represented a major shift in priorities”, it said. But the question was obvious: where would Gousto find the growth amid such difficult market conditions?

It opted to “look beyond the recipe kit sector and more directly challenge the supermarkets for the mainstream dinner market”. Consumer research by Gousto highlighted that time scarcity is a key driver of food choices, with many households, especially busy working families, turning to quick fixes like ready meals or takeaways often out of exhaustion rather than enjoyment.

At the same, it was evident that health and convenience were huge UK and global trends that were influencing consumer spending priorities. “This was the opportunity,” Gousto said.

It quickly stepped up its recipe development, focusing on increasing its health, convenience and premium ranges, as well as customisation options to increase its everyday relevance for all occasions. There was also a recognition that delivery speeds needed to improve, with Gousto trialling next-day delivery despite the huge complexity in terms of ingredient forecasting, managing factory stock levels and minimising food waste.

It also went about repositioning the brand and marketing strategy to help Gousto become seen as a mainstream go-to for all dinner occasions, catering well beyond recipe box users.

And it worked. Gousto enjoyed a mammoth increase in organic sales growth and delivered record volumes of more than 80 million servings in 2025 to win this award for the first time.