The culinary and home decorating expert is making her return, aiming to assist home cooks across America in preparing Thanksgiving dinner. At least that’s her aspiration. Following consumer feedback regarding the high cost of last year’s meal kit and the perceived complexity of the recipes—issues that have long affected the broader meal kit industry—this revamped Thanksgiving kit aims to streamline the cooking process. While it still requires some slicing and dicing, the recipes for brown sugar glazed turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, herbed stuffing, roasted vegetables, and apple crisp have been simplified to minimize “drama in the kitchen.”
However, one might wonder if these pre-assembled Thanksgiving meal kits could diminish the enjoyment of holiday cooking. Opinions vary. A November 2016 survey by Technomic of 1,500 customers revealed that only 16% of those who don’t use meal kits would consider ordering their Thanksgiving dinner from a service like Marley Spoon. In contrast, that percentage climbed to 51% among those who currently subscribe to meal kit services. Additionally, 43% of these home cooks believe that a Thanksgiving dinner from such a service would enhance the quality of their meal.
The emphasis on gourmet quality within the Martha & Marley Spoon meal kit sets it apart from other meal kit options. While most meal kit services promote themselves as quick and easy solutions for learning new recipes and preparing wholesome meals at home—highlighting the time saved by having pre-portioned ingredients delivered—Marley Spoon’s marketing leans more towards ensuring a flawless turkey dinner that will impress guests. Notably, Stewart’s kit stands out because competitors like Blue Apron and HelloFresh are not offering Thanksgiving meal kits this year. Although Chef’d once provided a similar meal kit, it is no longer available.
Most grocery stores do provide pre-cooked Thanksgiving meals for customers to pick up and reheat, but these options may not match the perceived premium quality of a meal kit, giving Stewart a competitive edge. It will be intriguing to see if other meal kit companies introduce their own Thanksgiving offerings next year. Considering Technomic’s insights, the investment might not be justifiable, especially as many meal kit companies already struggle to achieve profitability. Even if a brand like HelloFresh or Blue Apron decided to enter the Thanksgiving market, it would be a challenge to compete with the Martha Stewart brand, synonymous with gourmet quality.
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