Hello Fresh!

I wanted to try Hello Fresh the moment I came across their website so was chuffed as punch when my 3 day supply of food landed on my front door on a Tuesday evening all chilled and ready for the fridge. I love food and really enjoy cooking but sometimes feel like I need to add to my repertoire. I’m good at what I know but sometimes it’s nice to be given a chance to expand your culinary knowledge, the food boxes and recipe cards from Hello Fresh seemed like a great way to do this.

Hello Fresh chefs create amazing recipes which all take 30 minutes or less to prepare, they source their ingredients from a line of highly reputable sources including Fishmongers James Knight of Mayfair and Butchers Tom Hixson from Smithfields Market ,delivering it all fresh  to your door on Tuesdays. You can choose to have three or five meals per week and their boxes can be prepared for 2,4 or 6 people.

Everything you can need, down to spices, stock cubes and corn flour is included in your packs, you don’t need any fancy equipment, in fact if you have some oil, salt and pepper you’re sorted! You are given great recipe cards letting you know which ingredients are needed for each recipe and a step by step plan on the back letting you know how to prepare them. The cards were really simple to prepare and timed things perfectly, for example the second step would be to put the rice to boil and by the time you got to the last step, the rice was perfectly cooked and ready to serve!

We had a box for two covering three meals, though I didn’t have anyone to cook for one of the days so doubled the second person’s portion for my lunch the following day. My box included a chicken massaman curry, pork chops with leek and potato mash with caramalised onion gravy and salmon with couscous and a tomato salsa. Everything was really easy to prepare and tasted amazing. The ingredients were fresh, high quality and perfectly packaged. I didn’t have to measure the grains but did weigh out the potatoes as I had about 4 too many (which was handy, we used them to make chips for Princess).

I was wary that it would be possible to make the meals in the 30 minutes suggested but I timed it (yup I know, geeky but couldn’t help it) and all three recipes were ready within the allotted time, this was including the time it took to peel, chop or crush the ingredients before cooking too! This was great for me, I work full time and don’t like spending all evening in the kitchen when I get home especially since I normally have a sleepy, grumpy child in tow! I think it would also be a nice treat to buy a box for two if you have young children, it could be nice for the adults to prepare together once the kids are in bed! I was saying to The King that it would be nice to send to his nephew who is at uni, a house warming with a difference and a nice break from a diet of pizzas and Chinese takeaways!

Did I mention Hello Fresh as a company are awesome and have offered readers of the blog £20 off your first order?! Seeing as the boxes start from £39.99 for enough food and recipes for 3 meals for two people, this is a very decent discount don’t you think!!? All you have to do to receive £20 off your first Hello Fresh box is enter “CIRCUSMUMS” discount code when you place your order. Simples. Check out the Hello Fresh website here, you’ll find sample recipes, information on their suppliers and their company as well as a tonne of ways to connect with them via social media!  Bon apetite!

Ok so yes I did ask for a free box to trial out in order for the review but I promise the views and opinions expressed are totally my own and not swayed by the chocolate bar you see in the box… I’m on a diet you see and it’s still sitting in my fridge…