First off, each of the meals was prepared by the very talented Tori B Bearly, and you can see more of their cooking exploits by checking out The Sad Girls Cookbook.
Now I’d seen HelloFresh advertised for several months, but it wasn’t until I saw a very attractive looking discount that I decided to take the plunge and sign up for a box, and trust me it was definitely worth it.
What you get is high quality food, in exact ratios, with sufficiently clear and detailed recipes that even I was able to follow them, and I am self-admittedly a very hopless cook. Even without a discount, it is easily worth the price. Also I like being able to tailor the recipes for up to 4 people, and up to 5 recipes per week. This means that you can quite easily adapt your box to your lifestyle and family. Additionally, having veggie options, quick cook options, family meals and just meat & veggie selections mean that you can practically be guaranteed something which will tickle your tastebuds.
You can also skip weeks at your discretion, meaning for example if you are going to be away from home or just don’t have the money to afford them you can pause or deactivate your box with no hassle, just by pushing a button. The deliveries are also prompt, and the items are packed securely to ensure both freshness and safety.
I’ve also had a look at all of the meals on offer, ranging from simple to fancy, but always something easy to prepare and so far, for me at least guaranteed 100% tasty and high quality.
The packaging was also done in such a way that everything was packed and separated by meal, but also with limited use of non-recyclable packing, which ties into FreshBox’s goals for sustainability, for which they have received an award.
So the next section I will be talking about the three meals I received in my first box, I don’t plan to serialise these reviews, although I do plan to continue using the service, however if demand is high enough I would be willing to talk about future HelloFresh boxes in the future.
Pulled Chicken Burgers (with Wedges and Tangy Slaw)
The chicken was very tasty, a really nice cut that was neither too thin nor too thick, it cooked off really well. The BBQ sauce was also very good, not too sweet, nor too acrid, which is additionally surprising as I am not a huge fan of BBQ in general. The burger buns were also very tasty, seeded and the right firmness to hold up to the chicken. The addition of a light smear of mayonnaise on the bun, added a lot as well.
The coleslaw was a little tart for my liking, but it was quick and easy to prepare and was fairly pleasant nonetheless, and the wedges were great, and I used them to mop up the remains of the BBQ sauce once I was done because I am and always have been a messy eater.
Caramelised Onion Sausage Traybake (with Buttery Sauce)
The sausages had a slightly thicker casing that I was expecting, which made them seem at first glance to be overcooked, but once you cut into them and take a bite you can tell immediately they were cooked just fine. Speaking of which, during that first bite you are treated to a great, flavoured meat, seasoned well and blends in perfectly with the mix of other flavours presented in the recipe.
Okay now on to the breakout star of the meal, the roast vegetables. I have never really cared from them, my partner loves them, but to me they’ve always been my least favourite part of any meal they’ve been included on, and to make matters worse the recipe called for apples to be roasted alongside the carrots, red onion and potatoes and I dislike sweet with my savoury just about as much as I dislike roasted vegetables but this recipe has made me LOVE them, it all tasted amazing. Now some of that praise has to go to Tori B Bearly for preparing the meal, but the recipe was perfectly formulated, the sweet balanced with savoury, the veg was a mix of flavours so profound and well blended that it has converted me. We’ve made our own version of this meal at least three times since and I’ve cleared my plate each time.
Ginger Beef Noodles (with Green Beans and Pepper)
I think this was my personal favourite of the three dishes, which is saying something, firstly because all of the recipes were fantastic but because going in this was the one I was least excited about overall. I’m still surprised by just how good it was, as, and this is becoming a trend, i don’t really lime lemon or lime mixing with my meats, I understand the flavour balance is popular especially in Latin inspired meals but it’s never quite worked for my personal tastes, but this worked really well for me.
Again, the ingredients were all top quality, the beef was just perfect, rich and earthy and flavorful, perhaps it might even have been overly so, but the lime and ginger served to undercut this while adding their own powerful contributions to the tastes on offer.
The noodles were equally amazing. They soaked up the richness of the beef, the flavour of the soy sauce and each other individual element really well, and added much needed carbs to the meal without leaving you feeling bloated once you’d finished.
The green beans were my personal favourite of the meal though, they added texture and diversity to each bite, and also added some nice vegetables to the mixture. The peppers much like the green beans added flavour to the meal, without making it spicy, it just gave some bites a nice tang.
Overall
So is it worth it? If it wasn’t already clear at this point, I would say yes! Now in terms of cost and affordability, it could be seen as pricey, but given the quality, the recipes provided and that they provide all of the ingredients, I honestly think it’s worth checking out to see if it’s feasible for you and your family, and your budget because everything is brought to you on a weekly basis, the meals are quick and easy to prepare and it removes the hassle of thinking about what you’re going to have, but not the joy of actually cooking if that’s something to enjoy. You can also get better at cooking and preparing meals by using their recipe cards, and after a few months you’ve also learned, as well as enjoyed a plethora of good food, all cooked at home, by you.
If you want to test out the HelloFresh Box for yourself and see if it meets your needs then click here, where you can sign up for your order, getting 50% off your 1st order and 35% off your next three, as well as free delivery on that first order. Now isn’t that cool, remember though if you decided at the end of this discounted trial period that you don’t want to continue, you have to manually cancel or you’ll still continue to be charged.
You can download the app for iOS and Android to manage your deliveries, and make sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates.
Oh and make sure and check out their YouTube channel for some awesome content including some videos starring the incredibly funny and gorgeous Emily Atack, who you may recognise as Charlotte Hinchcliffe from the E4 comedy series The Inbetweeners.
First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/
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