Chefs for Foodies recipe box

What is Chefs for Foodies?

Chefs for Foodies describes itself as recipe kits by award-winning chefs. Chefs and restaurateurs share their skills and expertise in signature recipes, whether that is a chicken tikka masala from the head chef of an Indian restaurant, pizza kits from Italian masters of pizza dough or classic recipes such as beef wellington from Masterchef winners.

Chefs for Foodies recipe choices

There were approximately 25 recipes to choose from when we tested it out. A large proportion of these were Italian – with various pizza kits (where you make your own pizza dough) but also options from other cuisines such as Peking duck kit, wagyu burgers or aloo tikki chaat. There is also a separate section of KitchenAid kits with more recipes, designed to help you make the most of your stand mixer.

Is Chefs for Foodies healthy?

This will depend on the recipe you pick – there is no specific filter for health, and recipes do err more on the special occasion and weekend recipes (such as pizzas, brownies and pasta) but there are some recipes such as a mushroom risotto or vegan kebab that would potentially be healthier than other choices on the site.

How many recipes do you get with Chefs for Foodies?

Chefs for Foodies is not a recipe subscription box, it is more like a restaurant meal kit, so you just pick one recipe you want to try at a time. Of course, if there were lots of kits you wanted to try you could purchase lots individually.

What are the first impressions of the delivery?

Our delivery had a text warning when it was arriving and that it had been delivered – it was left on our doorstep. The box was compact and we were impressed by the amount of ingredients within. Everything was securely packaged in individual tubs, with some extra secured by a layer of clingfilm.

What do you get in a Chefs for Foodies box?

We chose a chicken tikka masala kit and received pretty much everything we needed to make the recipe, aside from a bit of oil for frying onions. There was a very wide range of spices included, plus chilled ingredients such as butter, cream and yogurt.

You scan a QR code on the packaging to gain access to the recipe and video of the chef making it. This was easy but some people may prefer to have a physical copy of the recipe card as well, to save working from a phone when making a complex recipe.

Are refrigerated ingredients kept sufficiently chilled in the packaging?

There were several icepacks in our delivery that kept everything cold – in fact our chicken at the bottom was almost frozen from being directly on the ice.

What are the delivery options?

You can select your chosen delivery date which can be as soon as 48 hours after ordering.

How much packaging was there?

We did notice that there was a lot of plastic packaging in our delivery – we chose a chicken tikka masala recipe kit that involved a lot of spices and each one of these was individually packaged, either in paper sachets or small plastic tubs (which we also found difficult and sharp to open). Where an ingredient was used twice in a recipe at separate steps, this also came separately packaged in two different tubs. This did give us some environmental and sustainability concerns. Packaging could be reduced by, for example, sending a fresh lime instead of juice in a tub, or combining multiple uses of an ingredient in one tub instead of separate packaging.

Does it offer good value for money?

The recipe boxes naturally vary a lot in price, depending on the ingredients that you will be sent. Some of the pizza making kits start at just £15.50 for two people, whilst our chicken tikka masala kit was £31.50 for two people. Working out at approximately £16 per portion, this is definitely on the pricier side and would be potentially more than the cost of a takeaway, but this is a one-off cost for a kit and experience rather than a cost for everyday cooking.

How easy are the recipes to make?

Whilst our recipe was a complex recipe, it was broken down into simple and manageable steps. There were two marinades, a flavoured rice and a complex curry sauce. The written steps made sense and we watched the 10-minute video of chef Rohit Ghai making the recipe first, so we could see what each stage should look like.

Other kits available such as pizza or brownie kits offer more simple recipe choices, but we wanted to push ourselves with the help of the kit.

Is there any food waste?

No, we used all ingredients that we were sent everything was pre-measured for us.

What are the finished recipes like?

Our finished tikka masala had great depth of flavour and an inviting creamy consistency. We ordered portions to serve two and quantities were definitely generous, especially on the rice. We learnt a new method of cooking rice that produced perfectly fluffy, separated grains that we will be using again. The curry was definitely on the highly spicy side for us but this is personal preference and a dollop of yogurt can help cool it down.

How many people does a Chefs for Foodies box serve?

Recipes vary in how many they can serve – our chicken tikka masala could be ordered for two, 4 or 6 people with the appropriate amount of ingredients sent. Some recipes we browsed were less flexible, with quantities just for two people.

What utensils did you need to use to make the recipes?

We used a knife and chopping board, two saucepans and a baking tray. We needed the oven on and two hobs.

Who would the product be most useful for?

We see this being most beneficial for learning new skills and stretching your cooking comfort zone. It is not a kit you would cook from everyday but would also make a great gift for a keen foodie.

What's your favourite thing about Chefs for Foodies?

The chance to learn a complex new recipe without the need to buy lots of ingredients that we may not use again or may be difficult to source – Chefs for Foodies sent authentic ingredients.

Star ratings

Ease of cooking 4/5
Quality of the finished recipes 4/5
Packaging 3/5
Quality of ingredients 4/5
Value for money 3/5

Discover how to purchase a Chefs for Foodies recipe box

This review was last updated in March 2023. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.