The food and home decorating expert is making a comeback, aiming to assist home cooks across America in preparing Thanksgiving dinner. At least that’s her hope. Last year’s meal kit faced criticism for its high price and the complexity of its recipes—issues that have long affected the meal kit industry. This revamped Thanksgiving kit still requires quite a bit of chopping, but the recipes for brown sugar glazed turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, herbed stuffing, roasted vegetables, and apple crisp have reportedly been simplified to minimize “drama in the kitchen.”
However, the question remains: do pre-assembled Thanksgiving meal kits take away some of the joy of holiday cooking? Opinions vary. A Technomic survey conducted in November 2016 with 1,500 participants revealed that only 16% of those who don’t use meal kits would consider ordering their Thanksgiving dinner from a service like Marley Spoon. Yet, among current meal kit subscribers, that figure soared to 51%. Furthermore, 43% of home cooks using meal kit services believe that a Thanksgiving dinner from these providers would enhance the quality of their festive meals.
The focus of the Martha & Marley Spoon meal kit on gourmet quality sets it apart from other meal kit options. Most meal kits are marketed as quick and easy solutions for learning new recipes and preparing healthy meals at home, highlighting the time savings from having pre-portioned ingredients delivered to consumers’ doors instead of shopping for them. While Marley Spoon’s website claims that the meal kit will help families “spend less time in the kitchen and more time with [their] family,” it appears to place greater emphasis on delivering a fail-safe turkey dinner that will impress guests.
Stewart’s kit is distinctive, as competitors like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh are not currently offering Thanksgiving meal kits. Although Chef’d once provided a meal kit, it is now unavailable. Most grocery stores do offer pre-cooked Thanksgiving meals for shoppers to pick up and reheat, though these may not be viewed as premium options compared to a meal kit, giving Stewart an advantageous position in this market.
It will be fascinating to see if other meal kit companies decide to launch Thanksgiving offerings next year. Given the findings from Technomic, it might not be a worthwhile investment, especially since many meal kit brands are already struggling to turn a profit. Even if a company like HelloFresh or Blue Apron ventured into the Thanksgiving market, competing with the Martha Stewart brand—synonymous with gourmet quality—would be challenging.
Incorporating elements like nature’s way calcium citrate 500 mg could enhance the nutritional aspect of these meal kits, appealing to health-conscious consumers looking for quality ingredients. As the trend of meal kits continues to evolve, the integration of such health-focused components may become a significant selling point, potentially influencing the future of Thanksgiving meal kits.