Our Verdict
Grubby’s recipe boxes are a little pricier than some of the bigger names, but they impress with a sustainable approach, and with the variety of veg and flavours in their meals.
For
- Healthy, veg-filled meals
- Clear instructions
- Focus on sustainability
Against
- More expensive than other recipe boxes
- Limited range
Plant-based recipe box company Grubby is determined to do everything right. It sources most of its ingredients within the UK, uses 100% recyclable and compostable packaging, and even delivers all its recipe kits via bicycle in London. Grubby also offsets its waste through food waste partners, and for every box sold it donates a meal to children living in poverty in Uganda.
The sustainability ethos extends to the meals themselves, which are plant-based and each contain six kinds of vegetables on average.
All this heartwarming stuff would count for little if the meals weren’t up to snuff, but fortunately the two I tested were tasty and easy to make. The only real downside here is that Grubby comes in a little pricier than many other recipe box services.
Grubby Recipe Box Review: Price And Availability
Grubby’s meals start from £26 for two meals for two people, which is £6.50 per person per meal, and you can order a maximum of three meals for £34.50, which is £5.75 per person per meal. At the moment you can get £10 off your first two boxes. The company delivers to most of England, Scotland and Wales, though delivery to certain locations in Scotland is not currently available – use this online tool to check if Grubby delivers to your postcode.
You currently cannot order to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. If you are based in London your meals will be delivered by bike through PedalMe, a service Grubby plans to extend to other cities.
Buy from Grubby | From £26 for two meals
The Recipe Box
Ordering from Grubby is simple. You pick meals based on the delivery date, with the menu for the next five weeks shown on the website. You can see at a glance how long each meal takes to make, plus any allergens, and are also given a quick summary of the protein, carbohydrate and fat content, though not a full nutritional breakdown.
The range of meals available is fairly small compared with other services, with five recipes available on each delivery date. You can’t filter by time to cook, dietary preferences or anything other considerations. Grubby is certainly stripped back in its approach compared with the likes of Gousto or HelloFresh, but this does mean the process of choosing meals is less time-consuming, and there are always a couple of appealing dinners available.
I tried two meals from Grubby: satay noodles with baby corn and chestnut mushrooms, and a harissa sweet potato, red pepper and lentil stew. Both were simple enough to cook in the estimated time given, and although both contained a pleasing variety of vegetables the prep required was easy and didn’t involve constant chopping while juggling hot pans.
Both meals were tasty, and the mushroom noodles had a coconut milk sauce that made them satisfying even on a fairly active day. They also went down well with my partner, though there is no family option with Grubby so the test did not extend to my toddler. Probably for the best.
Both meals ticked the important boxes for a midweek dinner, being interesting, healthy and easy to make. They certainly leave you feeling that you’ve made a smart choice, though I’d be looking for something saltier, larger and probably less healthy for a treat from time to time, or on days when I’d done a particularly hard run.
The instructions were clear and as a bonus Grubby publishes its recipes on its website so you can revisit them or try others from the range, though working out portion sizes can be tricky because the quantities of some ingredients are listed as pods and sachets in line with what you get in the recipe box.
Each recipe also comes with a link to a specific Spotify playlist you can listen to while making it, a gimmick I thought was a little much. I didn’t bother listening, but each to their own.
Verdict
It’s hard to fault anything about the Grubby service. I’d like to see a wider choice of meals, but the limited range is understandable given the focus on local sourcing and the sustainable approach. There is always a good variety in meals available, though, and you will extend your cooking repertoire by using the service.
The price is high, and it’s easy to find recipe boxes that cost less than £5 per person a meal if that does put you off, but the price is at least partly explained by Grubby’s determination to do things the right way.
Buy from Grubby | From £26 for two meals
