“The old “what do you want to eat?” conversation is about to be banished from your life. Welcome to a world where dinner is always planned, simple, and delicious.” Hello Chef
If there’s one thing the global pandemic has done, alongside the obvious health and travel issues, is exhaust my home cooking enthusiasm and repertoire. Enter Hello Chef into our lives, after months of isolation and numerous bouts of quarantine we decided to change things up and try the UAE’s recipe box subscription service.
Hello Chef offers budget friendly, easy to follow recipes with pre-portioned good quality, fresh produce that is delivered directly to your door. Menu choices vary from week to week so there’s always something new to sample.
The biggest bonus for us as a family is that it has broadened our dining horizons, expanding the repertoire of what we eat away from those tried and tested regular dishes. It has also ignited a passion for home cooking that definitely waned during the forced periods of lockdowns. The ever sceptical other half has been impressed with the substantial portion sizes, the freshness of the ingredients and the colourful, visual step-by-step guides, so much so that he has taken over the role of head chef.
We have four meals a week for the meat eaters in the household but have now begun to introduce some of the vegetarian options (vegan choices also available) into our weekly deliveries. Hello Chef eradicates mealtime stress, the daily wondering what’s for dinner tonight, it reduces food shopping and the pre-portioned ingredients means less household waste too. The majority of meals take about 30 minutes or less to prepare from start to finish.
We are now in our fourth week and while there have been no disappointments there have been some stand out favourites. Tuna patties with Asian salad, Thai sea bass with coconut rice, firecracker chicken meatballs with lettuce wraps and the Tandoori sea bass with braised lentils are the top four meals to date. (top tip – rate the recipes out of 10 so you keep a track of your favourites.)
How does it work? Pick a flexible plan that suits your household (you can cancel, change meals or skip a week if you need too). You choose from the selection of tasty recipes on the website that change weekly. There are low-carb, family-friendly, vegan and gourmet options with seasonal produce, free-range organic eggs, grass-fed New Zealand beef as well as antibiotic and hormone-free chicken.
How is it delivered? You select your desired delivery day and time slot. Each meal is delivered to your doorstep in a recycled box with chilled produce so that ingredients arrive fresh. The meat and seafood is delivered in separate packaging ready to go straight in the fridge. Store the individual meal boxes in the fridge until you need them.
What does it cost? Choose either the Choice Box (20 recipes per week to choose from) or the cheaper Classic Box (9 recipes per week to choose from). As a guide we have the Choice Box for 2 people x 4 meals a week that works out at AED 49 per person per meal (Weekly total AED 389.55) See more information on pricing options HERE. There are new customer deals and incentives, we saved AED 150 on our first box and if you invite your friends to join you both save money.
Recipe box subscriptions services have seen a steady rise in popularity over the last few years. The start of a new year is the perfect time to kick start healthy choices and Hello Chef offers low calorie yet highly nutritious meals as well as vegan recipes for those taking part in Veganuary. Each meal has a calorie count and there’s plenty of dairy and gluten free options for those with dietary concerns. Each box comes with all the ingredients you need including spices, nuts, seeds and condiments, you just need basic cooking supplies of oil and seasoning as well as simple kitchen utensils.
Hello Chef was founded up by Chef Olivia Manners who wanted to make home cooking accessible and easy for families in the UAE. She demonstrates many of the Hello Chef recipes on the YouTube channel, great to watch if you need extra inspiration for choosing recipes or simply want to cook along with her.
The only thing you have to think about is what meal you fancy first. It’s a game changer for busy people and for those working from home, isolating or in quarantine or those simply looking for inspiration. With varied menus and hassle free meal planning without shopping or preparation what’s not to love?
Hello Chef
Website: hellochef.me
Email: hello@hellochef.me
Telephone: 04 383 93 99
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All views are my own based on my experience. Unless otherwise stated all photos © Jo Brett 2021. All rights reserved. Additional photos used with courtesy of Hello Chef.