Blue Apron is rightly credited as the earliest meal kit service, but we’ve seen a considerable rise in their number of Competitors in recent years. These many options can be tricky as they pose a dilemma when you decide to pick a meal kit service provider.
The good part is that all these meal kit services have their uniqueness, so making your choice has become a little easier. You can pick a competitor that suits your need better.
#1. Sun Basket
- Founded: The Year 2014
- Headquarters: San Francisco
Need to know:
Sun Basket was founded by Justine Kelly and Adam Zbar in 2014. This meal kit delivery service is particular about healthy food; they ensure all their ingredients are of the best quality. Sun Basket produces ingredients that are purely organic and are not genetically modified. They care about the environment; this is evident in their reuse of material that by recycled for packaging their meals.
Their recipe is nutritionist-approved and is created by their Chef in Justine Kelly. Some of their menus include vegan, lean & clean, kid-friendly, to list a few. They provide a minimum of 3 meal options per week. Their price per plate ranges from $10-$15. However, one downside is that you pay around $7 for shipping as they don’t offer free shipping.
#2. HelloFresh
- Founded: The Year 2011
- Headquarters: Berlin, Germany
Need to know:
HelloFresh was founded in the year 2011 by Dominik Richter, Jessica Nilsson, and Thomas Griesel. HelloFresh is one of the main competitors to Blue Apron, unlike Blue Apron who is a powerhouse only in the US; HelloFresh is a powerhouse on a global scale. They have very reasonable prices, variety, and even meal plans. They also offer wine, so this is one for you if you are a wine lover. Some of their menus include low-calorie and vegetarian.
They have very adorable packaging, and interestingly, their packaging is all recyclable. However, the downside is how every meal has to have its packaging; it can be a little stressful for customers. For new chefs, they provide a quick and easy-to-follow recipe. They have detailed information about how to cook all their recipe. They charge around $5-$10 per plate. They only offer free shipping for orders above $50.
#3. Plated
- Founded: The Year 2012
- Headquarters: New York
Need to know:
In 2012 Plated was founded by Nick Taranto and Josh Hix. Down the line, it was purchased by Albertsons. Plated is a reputable meal kit service company, an excellent competitor to Blue Apron; they have similar value and quality. Their meals are organic and very healthy. They also provide ingredients for their customers based on request. They use recyclable boxed to package their meals to help keep the environment safe.
Plated has a unique style as they provide different glamorous options for meals that are simple to make. They believe in variety, so they have just the fitting meal kit for about just everyone. Every week, they provide different meal plans. Some of their menus include Low carb, vegetarian and low calorie, to mention a few. Typically their meal cost around $10-$15 per plate. You get free shipping for orders above $60.
#4. Home Chef
- Founded: The Year 2013
- Headquarters: Chicago, USA
Need to know:
Pat Vihtelic, in the year 2013, founded Home Chef. This meal kit service is primarily based in Chicago; they place their service focus on recipes that are fast and easy to follow for inexperienced chefs. For people with dietary limits, this is a good option. They also can provide meals for more than one person, even up to 6 people.
They allow you to choose your recipe from their 18 options every week. Beyond their dinner servings, they offer smoothies and quick lunch. Their meals cost around $5-$10 per plate. It’s relatively cheap to competitors like Blue Apron and even Plated. For orders less than $45, they have a relatively high shipping fee of $10. they only offer free shipping when you place an order of meals above$45.
#5. Martha and Marley Spoon
- Founded: The Year 2014
- Headquarters: Berlin, Germany
Need to know:
Fabian Siegel and Till Neatby founded Martha and Marley Spoon in 2014. It is one of the significant competitors to Blue Apron; it is also an international brand. It provides a meal kit for those who love cooking. They have unique flavors, which makes them a more attractive prospect. Their ingredients are unique and seasoned. Their meal kit contains items like artisanal cheese, Berkshire pork, to list a few.
They have their customers at heart, so they provide customers with recipes from different categories. Depending on customers’ dietary restrictions, you can choose from their recipe categories like the vegan and vegetarian options. They offer a family-size meal kit, but this is not one of the brands that help you save much time as their recipe may take up to 30minutes to cook. Their price per plate ranges from $5-$10 or $10-$15, depending on your choice. They offer free shipping, so you don’t have to worry about extra charges.
#6. Green Chef
- Founded: The Year 2014
- Headquarters: Denver Colorado
Need to know:
Green Chef was founded in the year 2014 by Michael Joseph. In 2018 the company was purchased by the German meal kit brand HelloFresh. All their meals are organic. Beyond the people, they also care for the environment; all their packaging is recyclable. Green Chef has also been credited as the initiator of ClimaCell, which looks very much like styrofoam.
They offer a variety of plans that are easy to follow; whether you are vegan or keto, there’s a plan for everyone. The recipe is quick to cook; They have servings for 2, 4, and 6 people. They don’t offer free shipping, and shipping costs are as high as $8. Their meal kit costs around $11-$13 per serving. Their recipe is famous for their keto and vegan products.
#7. Dinnerly
- Founded: The Year 2017
- Headquarters: MMM Consumer Brands Inc. 519 Eighth Avenue, 19th floor, New York, NY 10018
Need to know:
Fabian Siegel founded the Dinnerly meal kit In the year 2017. It was another one from the makers of Marley Spoon; it’s on top with all the big guns in the meal kit service industry. Compared to the others it is very cost-effective. Their meals are speedy and easy to cook. Most of their meals are healthy, low-carb, and low-calorie. Not as popular as Blue Apron, but it’s a good competitor, especially if you are looking for a cheap and quick-to-cook meal kit.
Their recipe doesn’t have instructions labeled on them. So when you are cooking their recipe, you need to follow their guide online. All their ingredients are placed in a single delivery box and not segregated. Although it looks not so attractive, it saves customers the stress and time of opening the different packages for every ingredient. Their meals cost around $5 per plate. They don’t offer free shipping, and also they don’t offer any discount for first-timers.
#8. Purple Carrot
- Founded: The Year 2014
- Headquarters: 460 Hillside Ave, Needham, MA 02494, United States
Need to know:
Andy Levitt founded purple Carrot in the year 2014. It was later acquired by the largest Japanese Organic Food Delivery Service, Oisix ra Daichi Inc. It is a plant-based meal kit brand. They offer customers different plans to make their choice. Their plans center around their recipe category and not the number of servings. These categories include Chef’s choice, High protein, and quick and easy. Their products are vegan and Gluten-free.
Their weekly menu is always dynamic to help customers enjoy their meal and forget about the lies that vegan meals are always bland. Interestingly their ingredients are also plant-based, which makes them unique also. Their meals cost around $10-$15 per plate. They also offer customers free shipping. When you are a first-timer with them, you get around $20 off your first order. Though per serving, the price is around $12 and sometimes a little more.
Sources
- https://bstrategyhub.com/top-10-blue-apron-competitors-alternatives/amp/
- https://mealkitcomparison.com/blog/blue-apron-competitors/amp/
- https://www.greenchef.com/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/green-chef-review#overview
- https://dinnerly.com/
- https://www.purplecarrot.com/
- https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190522005397/en/Purple-Carrot-to-Be-Acquired-by-Largest-Japanese-Organic-Food-Delivery-Service-Oisix-ra-daichi-Inc.-Fueling-Opportunity-to-Bring-Plant-Based-Meal-Kits-Global