Recipe box services have transformed how millions of people cook. No more wondering what to make. No more missing ingredients. Just pick your recipes, wait for the box, and follow the instructions.
It's a brilliant solution to a genuine problem. But it's also an expensive one. Let's look at the actual numbers.
What recipe boxes really cost
As of 2024, here's roughly what you're paying with the major UK recipe box services:
- Gousto: From £2.99 per serving (minimum 4 servings), typically £5-7 per serving on popular plans
- Hello Fresh: From £3.15 per serving, typically £5-6 per serving
- Mindful Chef: From £4.50 per serving, typically £7-9 per serving
For a family of four eating five recipe box dinners per week, that's £100-140 weekly on evening meals alone. Over a year, you're looking at £5,000-7,000 just on dinners.
What you're actually paying for
The ingredients in a recipe box aren't special. They're the same vegetables, meat, and store cupboard items you'd buy in a supermarket. So where does the money go?
Portioning. Someone has to weigh out exactly 80g of rice, 150ml of stock, and one tablespoon of ginger paste. That labour costs money.
Packaging. Every pre-portioned ingredient needs its own container or sachet. The ice packs, the insulated box, the recipe cards. All that packaging is built into the price.
Logistics. Getting fresh ingredients to your door on a specific day requires a sophisticated cold chain. Vans, drivers, refrigeration—none of it is cheap.
Marketing. Those TV ads and influencer partnerships? They're not free. The cost is baked into your subscription.
None of this is unreasonable. These are genuine services that cost money to provide. But it's worth understanding that you're paying a significant premium for convenience.
The supermarket alternative
Now let's cost out the same meals with supermarket ingredients.
Take a classic recipe box dish: Thai green chicken curry with jasmine rice. A typical recipe box serves 2 for about £12.
From a supermarket:
- Chicken thighs (300g): £2.50
- Thai green curry paste: £1.50 (jar makes 4+ meals)
- Coconut milk: £1.00
- Vegetables (peppers, mange tout): £2.00
- Jasmine rice: £1.80 (bag makes 6+ servings)
- Fresh herbs: £0.80
Total for first time: roughly £9.60 for 2 servings. But that curry paste and rice will last multiple meals, so the real per-meal cost drops to around £5-6.
Make the dish a second time: £5.30 for 2 servings (£2.65 per serving)—less than half the recipe box price.