In 2022, it is no surprise that the meal kit delivery service industry is continuing to grow throughout the world. Consumers in Canada have seen an increase in the number of brands to choose from, with smaller brands focusing on niche audiences emerging all the time. Although some of these smaller brands are capitalizing on certain dietary restrictions or cuisine preferences for consumers in the market, the larger players in this industry such as HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate continue to be fierce competitors in the space. Check out this article for a deeper comparison between HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate.
Let’s take a closer look at the similarities and differences between HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate
HelloFresh is a well-known brand in the meal kit delivery service industry. First founded in 2011, HelloFresh now services markets in North America, Europe, Australia and has also just expanded to Asia in 2021. Here in Canada, consumers have access to HelloFresh in every province. In comparison, Chef’s Plate is a smaller Canadian-founded brand, which first came into the industry in 2014. Chef’s Plate continues to focus on serving Canadians, offering service to nine of the ten provinces.
Meal kit delivery service brands make things easy for consumers, offering users a quick and simple online ordering experience. After selecting the preferred number of servings and meals to be ordered, HelloFresh users can look forward to browsing through a selection of over 35 different dishes all beautifully photographed and presented on the website. The menu of over 35 options is definitely one of the larger menus available in the meal kit service delivery industry. For example, Chef’s Plate offers a menu of 23 items. To help with user browsing, both HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate also break up their meal offerings into a variety of categories. These categories are based on dietary restrictions, lifestyle, and cuisine preferences, making it easier for customers to quickly select the meals to be delivered to their homes. To ensure repeat business, both HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate also rotate their menu items so users can continue to explore new meals and flavours and avoid ordering the same selections over and over.
A big reason that many consumers have started to include meal kit delivery services into their weekly routines is the time it saves. By having all the ingredients to the meals selected delivered directly to consumers’ doorsteps, users have been able to say goodbye to jotting down food lists and the stressful, last-minute grocery store trips. The meals provided by HelloFresh typically range from 20 to 30 minutes of prep and cook time combined. Chef’s Plate meals have a bit of a wider range of prep and cook time, ranging from 15 minutes to 40 minutes.
People who are using meal kit delivery service brands are also experiencing some savings. By having all the ingredients needed to prepare a meal, those who usually pivot to overpriced takeout for a last-minute meal option are now choosing to cook at home since all the ingredients they need have been delivered. Both HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate are very transparent with users during the ordering process, so much so that they break down the cost of each individual serving. HelloFresh servings are typically priced at just below $11.50 CAD and Chef’s Plate servings are a bit more cost-friendly, usually priced at below $9 CAD per serving.
Both HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate are fierce competitors in the Canadian meal kit delivery service industry. Each of these companies has years of success under their belts, with HelloFresh offering service all around the globe, and Chef’s Plate capitalizing on consumers in the majority of the Canadian provinces. HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate do a great job of helping their users explore new dishes and flavours, offering rotating menus and categories to appeal to specific cuisine preferences and dietary restrictions. Those using meal kit delivery service brands also are getting some time back from their busy schedules by avoiding food prep and weekly grocery store runs. Users of these brands are able to see financial savings with this new alternative to overpriced takeout. HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate are both solid options for those looking to try meal kit delivery services.