7 Cheap Recipe Boxes To Help Save On Your Food Bill

Recipe boxes have been the hype for a while recently and really, who can complain? 

Why spend time shopping in the supermarket when you could, with just a click of a button, order online and have the exact ingredients delivered on your doorstep?

It’s a luxury we never really knew we needed, considering it’s been ingrained into our lives that we need to always head to the shops to grab our essentials. 

Whilst at uni, the last thing you want to be spending alllll your money on is food – like what a waste?!

Talking about waste, having a recipe box service will reduce your food waste by SOOO much it’s actually shocking. So, by choosing to have recipes delivered to your door, your helping save the environment as well…what’s not to love?

Aside from this, we’ve done a whole heap of research and found the top 6 cheap recipe boxes to help you save on your food bill! 

Keep reading to find them out below…

1. Gousto

Price for 2 People and three recipes per week = £29.99

Delivery fee = £3.99

Deals = 60% off first box and 30% off all month

 

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Okay, so it was inevitable that Gousto was going to be top of our list. It’s one of the nation’s favourite recipe box services and we’re not surprised.

Gousto has over 60 recipes on its site, so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to planning nutritious meals.

It’s split into different food categories, allowing you to easily find meals you know you’ll love.

For example, there’s Street Food, Lean in 15, Calorie Controlled, Healthy Choices, Everyday Favourites and All Chopped.

What we love most about Gousto’s meal kits is that a lot of the recipes offer a ‘meat free’ version, so if you’re a vegetarian, there’s so much for you to choose from. 

That’s not all the good news, they even do 10% off student discount with Student Beans!

Customer Reviews 

‘Have had my first order from Gousto food was really fresh,the recipe easy to follow,and they tasted great.Had query with where to leave my delivery if no one in, query dealt with quickly.’

‘We have been getting gousto meals since January and absolutely love them. So fresh and so much variety’

2. HelloFresh

Price for 2 People and three recipes per week = £28.99

Delivery = £4.99

Deals = 60% off first box and 25% off the next two

 

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HelloFresh has been the recipe box company on everyone’s lips for a looooong time! 

Are we surprised? It’s literally renowned for delicious meals for both meat eaters and vegetarians, providing a mix of meals to keep your taste buds tingling.

With their cheap recipe boxes, you can have all the ingredients delivered to your door, to save the hassle of nipping out to the shop.

Some of the recipes include Fragrant Chicken Laksa with Noodles, Smoky Sausage Skewers and Mexican Inspired Tortizza. We’re DYING to try it!!

To top it off, they have so many amazing deals on as well, such as 60% off your first box and 25% off the next two…a bargain waiting to be snatched up.

Customer Reviews

‘Very tasty, easy to follow recipes, with everything you need, you just need to supply water, oil, salt and pepper. Delivery arrives when they say, and help if you need it is easy, through chat or app. Would recommend to give it a try if stuck in a rut with what to cook or if you need quick, easy meals for the week. 30+ meals to choose from each week.’

‘Fabulous company offering a service that I don’t have time for- providing innovative meal ideas, fresh ingredients and lots of options to make changes. Have had loads of fun making these meals and have eaten more healthily too.’

3. Simply Cook

Price For One Box = £9.99

Delivery = Free 

DealsTry your first box for just £3 and free postage.

 

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In comparison to its predecessors in this list, Simply Cook is a monthly box containing four recipes and non-perishable ingredient kits. This is then added to fresh ingredients which you pre buy yourself from the supermarket.

They say that all recipes only require you to have 4-6 fresh ingredients, which isn’t too bad but it just makes it a little more difficult to compare the price of this recipe box delivery service. 

What we love so much about this meal kit is it can be posted right through your letterbox, meaning you don’t actually have to be in to receive your order. Cool – right?

Some of the recipes we’ve found on the Simply Cook box website include Vietnamese Pork, Balinese Chicken, Louisiana Linguine and Spinach & Paneer Curry…mmmmm!!

Customer Reviews

‘Great concept. Easy to follow recipes that taste great and lots of choice. Good this to keep in the pantry for quick meal options’

‘Find Recipes easy to order. Plan a couple a mweek and make notes of the ones we really like. Also very easy to pause delivery.’

4. Mindful Chef    

Price for 2 People and three recipes per week = Ranges from £29.00 +

Delivery fee = Free

Deals = 25% off your first 4 boxes

 

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Mindful Chef recipe box is a service which has no commitments, no contracts and you can cancel anytime.

With no delivery fee and a starting price of £5.50 per portion for two people, we see this company as an absolute bargain price for cheap recipe boxes!

They offer healthy meals, vegan meals and all the recipes they offer on their site are gluten free and dairy free…what more could you want?

They rave about how they only source fresh, local ingredients, so you just know that the quality of your meals is going to be super delicious….mmmmm!

Customer Reviews

I must admit since starting to receive mindful chef it has renewed my interest in cooking the meal are very tasty and delicious it has helped me to start to lose weight which’s far as am concerned is a big plus’

‘Healthy, very tasty, quick and easy meals cooked fresh everyday. Gives great variety of different meals from a different menu each week. Perfect for the busy professional or those needing inspiration to prepare a delicious meal every time.’

5. Pasta Evangelists

Price for 2 People and three recipes per week = starting from £35.70

Delivery fee = Free

Deals = 30% Student Discount + a Free Cocktail

As you can already tell from its brand name, Pasta Evangelists is a meal kit service specialising in PASTAAAA. Let’s be honest, who DOESN’T like pasta?!

It’s a staple in many students’ food diets and we’re not surprised.

They send you through, again in a letterbox like form, fresh, pre portioned pasta, authentic sauces and garnishes sourced in Italy. 

Their cheap recipe boxes can also be frozen for up to a month, a great option if your plans change and you don’t want any food waste!

In comparison, it is a little pricier, but we also can’t imagine you will be buying pasta food boxes every single week…right?

They’re currently offering an amazing student discount through UNiDAYS where you can get 30% off and a Free Cocktail!

Customer Reviews

‘Delicious food, particularly the crab and chilli ravioli. Would definitely order again! I had a small technical query and this was answered very quickly’

‘Food is always top quality & when I had a problem (with the couriers) it was dealt with efficiently & with understanding of the inconvenience caused.’

6. All Plants

Price for 1 person and five recipes per week = £34.72

Delivery fee = Free

Deals =30% off your 1st order, 15% off 2nd + 3rd order.

 

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The most expensive out of the lot, but deffo worth the money is allplants!

allplants offers meal kits for Vegans, but the taste is definitely worth a try even if you’re a meat eater.

There’s over 100 different recipes for you to try from, from a variety of different cuisines and we are living for it.

The only difference with this subscription box is that you have to buy six meals, but it will last longer…so choose what’s right for you!

The best part? If you’re not going to be in for your delivery, their insulated boxes will keep everything frozen until 10pm that day.

Customer Reviews

‘Well worth trying even if you are not normally a vegan. excellent recipes and good value.’

‘Highly recommend. Quick, easy, tasty vegan meals. Like a healthy takeaway and great for anyone looking to eat more plants.’

7. The Cookaway 

Price for 2-3 people and five recipes = £48

Delivery fee = Free

Deals =20% off first order and £10 credit

 

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For a recipe box which features a wide range of cuisines, The Cookaway is the perfect option.

There’s everything from Greek to Malaysian to Spanish to Pakistani to British cuisine available.

The way it works is a little different, you order one of their delicious recipe boxes from a choice of over 180+.

Whilst it’s not a recipe box you can use multiple times a week, it’s great if you’re wanting to have a cooking night with your flatmates, or cook up something fancy at home!

For an insight into the costs, their ‘Malaysian Night Market Experience’ which comes with 5 recipes for a dinner party is £48 for 2-3 people.

It’s on the pricier side compared to other recipe boxes we’ve mentioned, but for an authentic cooking experience at home we’d say it’s worth those extra pennies.

Plus, there’s no subscription or commitment so try it out and see what you make of it…

Customer Reviews

‘Great fun cooking such a variety of tasty dishes. So easy to prepare’

‘Great quality ingredients, easy to follow and a really tasty meal’

We are sooooo foodied out right now it’s beyond belief. What. A. Blog!! We hope you’ve found the best cheap recipe boxes from our selection, we can’t wait to get our hands on them either.

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