I tried a food subscription as a gift and it was unforgettable (aff)
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Food subscriptions are one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give. They arrive month after month, spark new ideas in the kitchen and feel like a surprise every time the box lands on the doorstep.
I was given a food subscription one Christmas and it turned out to be one of those gifts you remember long after the decorations come down. It did not just land once and disappear. It kept arriving through the letterbox for months, each delivery feeling like a small surprise all over again. It was thoughtful, a little bit different and genuinely useful.
Food and recipe subscriptions make brilliant gifts because they keep giving. Having recipes, ingredients and meal ideas delivered straight to your door takes the stress out of planning dinners, while adding a sense of anticipation about what is coming next. There is also something quietly satisfying about trying new flavours, learning new techniques and building confidence in the kitchen along the way.
There is now a huge range of food and cookery subscriptions to choose from, covering everything from gourmet treats to healthy, time-saving meals. Some are designed for confident home cooks who like to experiment, while others are perfect for beginners who want clear guidance and foolproof results. Many also cater for specific diets and lifestyles, making them easy to tailor to the person you are buying for.
Below is a look at some of the most interesting food subscription offers available right now, including options from The Good Prep, Relofoods and Simply Cook, with a clear breakdown of what you get and how much each one costs.
Cook has won awards for its frozen meals and puddings. Rather than cooking, this is more about receiving gourmet food in the post that saves you the bother of cooking, so very much a tasty treat.
There are boxes with meals for one or two, new parents and more. A Cook starter pack for one including seven meals for one costs £40.25 and the prices go up from there.
There are gift cards to buy that cover a few meals or a subscription available that includes an offer to get £10 off your first delivery using code SUBSCRIBENOW at the website here.
SimplyCook is doing an offer to try it out for £3 at its website here. Subscriptions can be paused or cancelled if you don’t want to continue with it.
Kits turn up with easy to follow recipes and a box of spices that are used with four to six common items that people normally have in their fridge already. This is ideal for beginners to cooking or those that want to be more adventurous. Examples including pasta and mushrooms.
Pots for Tots is part of The Family Food Co, which makes nutritious farm-to-food meals and sends them out on flexible subscriptions. Pots for Tots ships out hearty meals suitable for children and is a gift any busy parent will adore.
This one is for fitness enthusiasts and healthy loved ones as Relo Foods sends out meals that are “nutritionally-balanced, high-protein and preservative-free”. The food aims to nourish and support the body too.
Various chicken curries and peri-peri dishes are among the meals that come in pouches that can be heated up in two and a half minutes. Perfect for the gym bunny in your life. Each meal costs from £4.14 when you sign up for a subscription. There are also deals like save 10% with 20 or more meals ordered.
The Good Prep is another meal subscription service for healthy people with fitness goals. The food is carefully crafted by a chef focused on nutrition and calories. Healthy snacks and juices can also be ordered too and there are a variety of options including Halal meals.
Along with weekly deliveries, The Good Prep enables the subscriber to manage meal plans starting from £23. There’s an introductory offer of 20% for the first two weeks of a subscription at its website here. Plans can be paused or cancelled at any time.