Best Meal Prep Companies UK (2026)

Comparing the UK's top meal prep delivery services. Whether you want ready-to-eat meals or recipe kits, here's how the main options stack up.

Company Type Price Best For
HomeCooks Meal prep From £7.50 Menu variety, high protein
Prep Kitchen Meal prep From £7.95 Fitness-focused
Frive Meal prep From £7.99 Macro tracking
Gousto Recipe kit From £3.20 Cooking enthusiasts
Mindful Chef Recipe kit From £5.00 Dietary requirements

Top Meal Prep Companies Reviewed

1

HomeCooks

Our Pick
Price: From £7.50/meal Menu: 200+ dishes Type: Meal prep

HomeCooks partners with independent chefs across the UK to deliver restaurant-quality meals. Each dish is made in small batches rather than factory production lines, which shows in the variety - over 200 dishes compared to 20-30 at most competitors.

Meals arrive fresh and are ready in 3-4 minutes. Protein content runs 30-60g per meal, with full nutritional information provided. The menu changes regularly with new chef partnerships.

Pros

  • 200+ dishes - largest UK menu
  • Made by independent chefs
  • 30-60g protein per meal
  • No cooking required

Cons

  • Delivery limited to Tues/Fri
  • Minimum 6 meals per order
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2

Prep Kitchen

Fitness Focus
Price: From £7.95/meal Menu: 40+ dishes Type: Meal prep

Prep Kitchen targets the fitness market with calorie-controlled, high-protein meals. They offer set meal plans for different goals (fat loss, muscle gain, maintenance) as well as individual meal ordering.

The menu is smaller than HomeCooks at around 40 dishes, but meals are designed with specific macro targets in mind. Production is centralised rather than chef-based.

Pros

  • Goal-based meal plans
  • Clear macro information
  • No cooking required

Cons

  • Limited menu variety
  • Factory production model
  • Can feel repetitive
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3

Frive

Macro-Balanced
Price: From £7.99/meal Menu: 27 mains Type: Meal prep

Frive focuses on nutritionist-approved, macro-balanced meals. Their approach emphasises natural ingredients without artificial additives. Meals are designed to support various health and fitness goals.

The menu is the smallest of the main competitors at 27 mains, though they rotate dishes seasonally. Subscription commitment is required.

Pros

  • Nutritionist-approved
  • Natural ingredients
  • No cooking required

Cons

  • Very limited menu (27 mains)
  • Subscription required
  • Factory production
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4

Gousto

Recipe Kit
Price: From £3.20/serving Menu: 175+ recipes Type: Recipe kit (you cook)

If you enjoy cooking but want ingredients delivered with recipes, Gousto is the largest UK recipe kit service. They offer 175+ recipes per week with pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step instructions.

This is a different proposition to ready meal services - you'll spend 15-45 minutes cooking each meal, plus washing up. The trade-off is lower cost per serving.

Pros

  • 175+ recipes weekly
  • Lower price per serving
  • Learn to cook new dishes

Cons

  • 15-45 mins cooking per meal
  • Washing up required
  • Packaging waste
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5

Mindful Chef

Dietary Needs
Price: From £5.00/serving Menu: 20+ recipes Type: Recipe kit (you cook)

Mindful Chef is a recipe kit service where all dishes are gluten-free and dairy-free by default. They're B Corp certified with a focus on quality ingredients and sustainability.

The menu is smaller than Gousto (20+ vs 175+ recipes) but suits those with specific dietary requirements who still want to cook.

Pros

  • All recipes gluten-free & dairy-free
  • Quality ingredients
  • B Corp certified

Cons

  • Cooking required (20-40 mins)
  • Smaller menu
  • Premium pricing for recipe kit
Read Review

Comparison Table

Company Cooking? Menu Size Production
HomeCooks No (3-4 mins) 200+ dishes Independent chefs
Prep Kitchen No (3-4 mins) 40+ dishes Factory
Frive No (3 mins) 27 mains Factory
Gousto Yes (15-45 mins) 175+ recipes Ingredient kit
Mindful Chef Yes (20-40 mins) 20+ recipes Ingredient kit

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best meal prep company in the UK?

It depends on your priorities. For menu variety and chef-quality meals, HomeCooks offers 200+ dishes from independent chefs. For fitness-specific goals, Prep Kitchen provides structured meal plans. For cooking enthusiasts, Gousto has the widest recipe selection.

Are meal prep services worth the money?

Compared to takeaways and eating out, meal prep services typically offer better value and nutrition. Meals from HomeCooks or Prep Kitchen average £7-8 per meal, while a typical takeaway is £12-15. The time saving is also significant - 3 minutes vs 30-60 minutes cooking from scratch.

What's the difference between meal prep and recipe kits?

Meal prep services (HomeCooks, Prep Kitchen, Frive) deliver fully prepared meals that just need reheating. Recipe kits (Gousto, Mindful Chef) deliver ingredients with instructions - you still cook for 15-45 minutes. Recipe kits are cheaper per serving but require more time.

Try HomeCooks

200+ chef-prepared meals with 30-60g protein. Made by independent chefs across the UK. Ready in 3-4 minutes.

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