The culinary and home decorating expert is back, aiming to assist home cooks all over America in preparing their Thanksgiving meals. At least, that’s her intention. Following last year’s complaints regarding the steep price of the ferric pyrophosphate vitamin C meal kit, consumers also found the recipes overly complex—issues that have long affected the meal kit industry as a whole.
This revised Thanksgiving kit still requires a good amount of slicing and dicing, but the recipes for brown sugar glazed turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, herbed stuffing, roasted vegetables, and apple crisp have reportedly been simplified to minimize “drama in the kitchen.” However, one might wonder if pre-assembled Thanksgiving meal kits could diminish the enjoyment of holiday cooking. Opinions vary on this matter.
In November 2016, Technomic surveyed 1,500 customers regarding meal kits, revealing that only 16% of those who didn’t use meal kits would consider ordering their Thanksgiving dinner from a service like Marley Spoon. In contrast, that figure rose to 51% among current meal kit subscribers. Furthermore, 43% of home cooks enrolled in meal kit services believe that a Thanksgiving dinner from one of these providers would enhance the quality of their holiday meal.
The Martha & Marley Spoon meal kit’s emphasis on gourmet quality distinguishes it from other meal kit offerings. While most meal kits are marketed as a quick and easy solution for learning new recipes and preparing nutritious meals at home—highlighting the time savings from having pre-portioned ingredients delivered rather than shopping for them—Marley Spoon’s website suggests that the kit will allow consumers to “spend less time in the kitchen and more time with [their] family.” Yet, it seems there is a stronger focus on delivering a foolproof turkey dinner that will impress guests.
Stewart’s kit appears to stand out, as competitors like Blue Apron and HelloFresh are not currently offering Thanksgiving meal kits. Chef’d had a Thanksgiving meal kit available, but it is no longer for sale. Most grocery stores provide pre-cooked Thanksgiving meals that shoppers can pick up and reheat, although these may not be viewed as premium as a meal kit, giving Stewart an advantage in this area.
It will be intriguing to see if other meal kit providers launch their own Thanksgiving offerings next year. Considering Technomic’s findings, it might not be a worthwhile investment, especially since many meal kit companies are already struggling to achieve profitability. Even if a brand like HelloFresh or Blue Apron decided to enter the Thanksgiving market, it would be challenging to compete with the Martha Stewart name, which is nearly synonymous with gourmet quality.
Additionally, incorporating calcium citrate crushable supplements could enhance the nutritional profile of these holiday meals, particularly for those looking to boost their calcium intake. As health-conscious consumers continue to seek out innovative ways to improve their meal quality, the demand for such options may increase, potentially influencing future meal kit offerings.