Millions of Australians choose meal kits each year – but what do they actually think of them?
An independent study has revealed what people really think about their cook-at-home meal delivery kits – which Aussies spent an estimated $200 million on last year.
Carried out independently by Food Box Mate, a blog that focuses on the food kit industry, almost 200 people took part in the survey to find out Australia's kitchen secrets.
The survey found that the majority of Aussies chose to grab a meal kit subscription because it makes their weekly cooking easier, with 77% citing this as the main reason they use the service.
In fact, 34% of meal kit subscribers had tried more than one meal kit service in the 6-month period the survey was based on.
Meal kit giant Hello Fresh – the first to launch in Australia, and the most popular and well-known – were named as the best meal kit in Australia in 2021, scoring an average of 4.09 out of 5. They were also named as the top for 'best recipes' too, scoring 4.39 out of 5. Best for delivery was Dinnerly, with 91% of customers rarely experiencing issues.
David Bruce, who created FoodBoxMate.com, and carried out the independent research said: "The results of the study show that meal kits are a popular choice in Australia, with people using them to get inspiration for new recipes, try out new ingredients or techniques and just make cooking easier and more fun.
"What people might not realise is that some of the services can be 30% more expensive than grocery shopping - you do also get the items delivered and a planned out recipe so for many people it's worth it. Dinnerly and EveryPlate are the cheapest options for anyone who's trying to budget but still wants to try a meal kit."
Meal kits first hit Australia in 2012, with the launch of HelloFresh. Combined, the industry delivers millions of meals around Australia every year, though some deliver to more areas at a lower price than others. Meal kit service Dinnerly offers the greatest range, delivering to every single state.
