Top Five Food Subscriptions You Need in London

Pasta Evangelists

It’s no secret that the so-called ‘fresh’ pasta sold in supermarkets is anything but: whilst they might tick the box if you’re looking for a bit of stodge, the pre-packaged cartons of ravioli and tagliatelle you’ll find in the chiller section weren’t made by an Italian nonna that same day (in fact, they’re made to last for weeks – and they taste like it, too). Fortunately, there’s now a way to enjoy all the deliciousness of Italy without having to faff around with egg, flour and an unwieldy machine. Rejoice, pasta fans: Pasta Evangelists are here to stay.

Subscribers to this unique service can choose from vegetarian, variety or gourmet food subscriptions – and can pick as many as they like from the five dishes on offer each week (it’s easy to add more dishes, too, if you happen to have friends or family over one evening). Each week you’ll receive the recipes, pasta, sauce and garnishes to create a stunning dish – all in a neat package that fits through the letterbox. If you don’t fancy subscribing, you can order a one-off box; or, if you receive regular deliveries but are going on vacation or cutting back on the carbs for a bit, you can cancel your plan at any time.

What’s special about it: Not only is the pasta outstanding, as attested to by their many foodie fans (including Prue Leith and Giles Coren), but each recipe is carefully curated to provide something new and interesting to even the most discerning Italian food fan. No bog-standard bolognese recipes here. When you subscribe to Pasta Evangelists, you’re taking the first step on a true Italian food journey.

Bakedin

Another letterbox-friendly food offering, the Bakedin club is a must for anyone with a passion for baking. Whether you’re a master baker, a parent who loves to bake with their kids, or just a fan of the Great British Bake Off, you can receive a fantastic kit for just £7 a month including free delivery. All you need is the oven and baking tins, as well as a few fresh ingredients – eggs, for example – and they’ll provide the rest: everything you need to create amazing, home-cooked creations to impress your friends and family each month, with the added bonus of hours of baking fun. Simple.

What’s special about it: Each recipe is developed by world-famous pastry chef Michel Roux_, _and you won’t find any nasty ingredients lurking in these food subscriptions, either – no artificial colours, sweeteners or preservatives.

Mindful Chef

If you’re health or eco-conscious, there’s no better option than Mindful Chef, with their tasty, responsibly-sourced food boxes. Each week, customers receive a choice of vegetables, meat, and fish of the highest-quality: all chicken is free-range, all fish landed fresh in the UK, the meat is 100% grass-fed, and the vegetables are organic. Mindful Chef is also the only food subscription service to cater for a variety of different diets: customers can choose from vegan and vegetarian options, and the options are innately low carb and gluten-free.

With nutritionist-approved recipes and a dedication to avoiding refined carbs – Mindful Chef make it clear that they won’t try and bulk out their food subscriptions with ‘filler’ ingredients – there’s an option for everyone. Subscribers can choose from two to five recipes per week (and there’s no minimum contract), and the average meal costs £6.60 per person. It’s a slightly pricier option than some, but delivery is free, and there’s zero wastage involved. Furthermore, the quality of the ingredients give Mindful Chef the edge over the cheaper food subscriptions on the market: you can’t beat organic, locally-sourced British produce when it comes to taste.

What’s special about it: Aside from the wonderful produce and variety of options on offer, Mindful Chef operate a unique one-for-one charity model. For every meal sold, a school meal is donated to a child living in poverty.

The Spicery

Food subscriptions are almost commonplace, now, with companies offering everything from vegan food boxes to specialist cheeses, but The Spicery offers something different – and also claim to have invented the world’s first recipe kit subscription 12 years ago. Each kit contains a plethora of fresh spices, which have been ground and blended to order and measured to match the suggested recipes; as well as recipe cards that guide the recipient to create amazing feasts. There are a variety of subscriptions – from ‘easy’ to spectacular ‘date night’ suggestions – and subscribers can pick from a package that recurs monthly, or 3, 6, or 12-month plans.

What’s special about it: Whether a fan of Pan-Asian, Indian or Mexican cuisine, any spice lover will agree that the best, most authentic-tasting food requires freshly ground spices; but that’s simply not possible for most home cooks, who often rely on a store cupboard full of old spice jars that rapidly lose their freshness or zing. The Spicery’s fantastic monthly box allows you to recreate a favourite dish from your travels, a popular takeaway treat, or simply jazz up an old staple – all from the comfort of your own home.

Chef Xchange

If gourmet food within a home environment appeals, you’ll want to take advantage of the unique product offered by Chef Xchange. Following successful launches in a number of cities – Dubai, Beirut and Washington D.C., for instance – Chef Xchange’s fine-dining service has come to London.

Chef Xchange differs from your usual recipe-kit set up in that it’s not strictly a subscription service, but we thought it was still well worth a mention. Put simply, it offers customers the chance to enjoy the services of a private chef within their home: whether it’s for a special occasion, dinner party catering, or to save time on everyday dinners, there are a variety of options available. You can choose a chef to come to your home and create all the food (they’ll do all the clearing up, too!) or take advantage of their prepared meal service, through which you’ll receive meal boxes on a regular basis.

What makes it special: The breadth of the service is attractive (from the different cuisines on offer – Turkish, Italian, and Japanese to name but a few – to the impressive talents of the chefs in ChefXchange’s employ); but it’s the personal touch that really sets ChefXchange apart. If you choose a chef to cook for you, you’ll then deal with that chef on a one-on-one basis, enjoying bespoke menus and receiving a level of service that isn’t offered by any other at-home food service.