A delicious home cooked meal, at the end of a long day, makes for a fantastic treat. However, long grocery trips, and an extended preparation and cooking time can easily discourage us to skip the home made meals. This is where recipe box companies come in: they’ll deliver just the right amount of ingredients, and easy-to-follow instructions for a tasty meal. 

Gousto and HelloFresh are some of the best recipe box suppliers in the UK. But how do these two industry leaders compare? In this Gousto vs HelloFresh review, we’ll put the two companies head to head to help you identify your most ideal fit. We’ll cover everything from price to flexibility, quality of produce to sustainability, to identify which brand comes out on top.  

Gousto vs HelloFresh: Who offers more flexibility? 

At Gousto you can make your recipe selections up to two weeks in advance. You’ll be able to amend your order up to three days before the delivery date. 

This recipe box company also allows you to pause your subscription or skip a delivery as needed. Once you pause your subscription, you’ll no longer receive Gousto boxes until you choose to resume the service. 

One of the key differences between Gousto and HelloFresh is that the former allows users to order a one-off box. You can, therefore, try out this recipe box without subscribing to the service.  

With HelloFresh, you can choose the recipes that you’d like to receive up to 4 weeks in advance. Whenever you want to, you also have the option to skip deliveries up to 8 consecutive weeks.

If you’d like to amend your order, skip a week, or cancel your HelloFresh subscription, the cut-off is always 11:59 pm on Tuesday, the week prior to your delivery.

When it comes to Flexibility, Gousto stands out as you can enjoy their services without getting tied into a subscription. 

Gousto vs HelloFresh: Which Box options are available? 

If you opt for HelloFresh, you’ll have a selection of three boxes to choose from. These are the classic box, the family box, and the rapid box. 

Classic box. 

The classic box offers meals for two grownups, and you can customize your order to receive 3, 4, or 5 recipes per week. You can also order this box with three recipes per week for three adults. 

Family box. 

The HelloFresh Family box is ideal for families consisting of two grownups and two big children or three small kids. With this option you can choose to have either three or four recipes delivered each week. 

Rapid box. 

If you lead a busy lifestyle and often find yourself crunched for time, then this is the ideal box for you. You’ll receive quick recipes that you can cook within 20 minutes. 

Gousto Box options. 

With Gousto, you can opt for either the two person box, or the family box. 

Family box. 

The Gousto Family box can serve two adults and 2 - 3 children. You can customise your box by choosing two, three, or four recipes per week. 

Two Person Box. 

The two person box is ideal for two grownups. Similar to the family box, you can opt for two, three, or four Gousto meals per week. 

Gousto Vs HelloFresh: Which one is more budget friendly?

With HelloFresh, you get the best value when you order 4 recipes for 4 people. This box will cost you £51.99, which brings the cost per serving to £3.25. See our full breakdown of how much Hello Fresh Costs on a weekly and monthly basis.

Gousto’s best value box also serves 4 meals for 4 people. This box costs £47.75, which brings the price per portion to £2.98. 

There is a slight variation in the pricing model at these recipe box companies for different boxes, number of recipes, and number of people. However, for a family of four ordering 2, 3, or 4 recipes per week, Gousto would be the more affordable option. 

Here are Gousto prices as of September 2021.

(These prices don't take into account the Gousto refer a friend offer Newbiedeals promotes with 60% off your inital box and 30% off all other boxes for the first month. However it will provide you an idea of the costs longer term. 

 2 Meals3 Meals 4 Meals
2 People£24.99 per box, or £6.25 per portion.£29.99 per box, or £5.00 per portion.£34.99 per box, or £4.37 per portion.
4 People£31.75 per box, or £3.97 per portion. £42.75 per box, or £3.56 per portion. £47.75 per box, or £2.98 per portion.

Here are HelloFresh prices as of September 2021. 

(Similar to Gousto, this does not include the £46 Hello fresh discount code, on offer as a new customer, or any NHS discounts

 2 Meals3 Meals4 Meals5 Meals
2 PeopleN/A£26.99 or £4.50 per portion.£31.99 or £4.00 per portion.£38.99 or £3.90 per portion. 
3 People£29.99 or £5.00 per portion.£38.99 or £4.33 per portion. £45.99 or £3.83 per portion.£56.99 or £3.80 per portion.
4 People£31.99 or £4.00 per portion.£42.99 or £3.58 per portion.£51.99 or £3.25 per portion.£64.99 or £3.25 per portion.

Gousto vs HelloFresh: Who delivers superior produce?

Both Gousto and HelloFresh are committed to supplying exceptional ingredients to their customers. You’ll receive fresh vegetables that are sourced locally with both of these retailers. 

The two companies have also undertaken measures to ensure that your meat and dairy products stay cool and fresh during delivery. These ingredients are packed with special ice packs and insulation, and even in the hotter months, you’ll receive your products in pristine condition. 

Check out our post showcasing the best HelloFresh meals right now and our article asking Is Hellofresh Healthy? for more information on what you'll get in your box.

Gousto vs HelloFresh: What about sustainability?

In this age, it’s crucial that the companies we support are kind to our planet. Both Gousto and HelloFresh deliver just the right amount of ingredients, which prevents food waste. 

However, with both companies there is a significant amount of packaging waste. So, what measures have these retailers undertaken to become more sustainable?

Gousto has recently introduced an Eco Chill Box that comes with a recyclable insulator. This move has enabled the company to eliminate 74.5 tonnes of plastic from their boxes. The retailer has also solved their 50% plastic pledge, which has seen them remove 100 tonnes of plastic from their boxes. 

HelloFresh has similarly taken steps to reduce their packaging waste. Since 2017, they have successfully cut down the amount of packaging in their boxes by 20%. 

Our verdict? Gousto is the more eco-friendly brand as they’ll deliver your food with the least amount of plastic possible. 

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