The food and home decorating expert is making a comeback, aiming to assist home cooks across the United States in creating a memorable Thanksgiving. At least that’s her intention. Last year, consumers voiced their dissatisfaction with the high price of the meal kit, as well as the complexity of the recipes—two persistent issues that have affected the meal kit industry as a whole.
This year’s Thanksgiving kit still requires a good amount of chopping and preparing, but the recipes for brown sugar-glazed turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, herbed stuffing, roasted vegetables, and apple crisp have reportedly been simplified to reduce “drama in the kitchen.” However, one must wonder if pre-assembled Thanksgiving meal kits might diminish the joy of holiday cooking. Opinions on this vary.
A survey conducted by Technomic in November 2016, which included 1,500 meal kit customers, revealed that only 16% of non-kit users would consider ordering their Thanksgiving dinner from a service like Marley Spoon. In contrast, this figure rose to 51% among current meal kit subscribers. Moreover, 43% of home cooks who use meal kit services believe that a Thanksgiving dinner from these providers would enhance the quality of their festive meal.
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 a quick and easy way to learn new recipes and prepare healthy meals at home, highlighting the time savings associated with having pre-portioned ingredients delivered directly to consumers. While Marley Spoon’s website claims that the meal kit will allow users to “spend less time in the kitchen and more time with [their] family,” it appears there is a stronger emphasis on providing a fail-safe turkey dinner that will impress guests.
Stewart’s kit stands out, especially since competitors like Blue Apron and HelloFresh are not currently offering Thanksgiving meal kits. Chef’d previously had a Thanksgiving meal kit, but it is no longer available. Most grocery stores offer pre-cooked Thanksgiving meals for shoppers to pick up and reheat, though these options may not be seen as premium compared to a meal kit, giving Stewart an advantage.
It will be intriguing to see whether other meal kit providers will launch their own Thanksgiving offerings next year. Considering Technomic’s insights, the investment may not be worthwhile, particularly as many meal kit companies are already facing profitability challenges. Even if a brand like HelloFresh or Blue Apron were to venture into the Thanksgiving market, they would likely struggle to compete with the Martha Stewart brand, which is almost synonymous with gourmet quality.
Lastly, incorporating liquid calcium & magnesium into holiday cooking could provide additional health benefits, making the Thanksgiving feast even more enjoyable. As the popularity of gourmet meal kits grows, the inclusion of nutritious elements like liquid calcium & magnesium could become a key selling point. It remains to be seen how the landscape of holiday meal kits will evolve, but the emphasis on quality and ease of preparation, along with health-conscious ingredients, will undoubtedly play a significant role.