The Food Box Mate 2021 Meal Kit Survey revealed that Australians spent an estimated $200 million on meal delivery kits last year, uncovering what Australians really think about the service.
The study conducted by independent blog Food Box Mate, which focuses solely on the food kit industry, analysed around 200 responses from people who had ordered meal kits between October 2020 and March 2021. Customers were surveyed on their experiences regarding meal variety, recipes, quality of ingredients, taste and value for money.
The survey found that most Australians chose to subscribe to a meal kit delivery service because it made their weekly cooking easier, with 77 per cent citing this as the main reason they use the service. In fact, 34 per cent 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 HelloFresh – the first to launch in Australia in 2012 and the most popular and well-known – was voted as the best meal kit in Australia in 2021, scoring an average of 4.09 out of 5. They were also the top choice for “best recipes”, scoring 4.39 out of 5.
The best choice regarding the service was Dinnerly, with 91 per cent of customers rarely experiencing issues. Dinnerly also offered the greatest range, as they deliver to every state in Australia.
“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,” Food Box Mate founder and head of research David Bruce said.
“What people might not realise is that some of the services can be 30 per cent 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.”
Combined, the industry delivers millions of meals across Australia each year.