HelloFresh sees surge in demand for ultra-fast meal kits

The delivery service saw orders for 15-minute meals increase by 30 per cent year-on-year as office workers continue eating home-cooked food while spending time travelling to and from work.

This comes as UK employers continue to change hybrid working arrangements, with 85 per cent of jobs now requiring at least two days in the office, which is an increase from 65 per cent in 2022, according to Indeed.

This has led to a surge in orders of sub-15-minute meals, which have increased almost fivefold since 2022, according to the figures from the business.

Research from HelloFresh and Savanta revealed that 65 per cent of UK office-based workers said it’s important to eat whole, nutritious food after a day in the office, while 59 per cent still wanted a proper home-cooked meal even after commuting.

Consumers are also being cautious about price, with 57 per cent of office-based workers saying they want to avoid spending extra money on takeaways and eating out after working days.

Mimi Morley, senior recipe development manager at HelloFresh: “Hybrid working has changed how people experience weekday evenings.

“Commuting days are more pressured, but our data shows people haven’t lowered their expectations around food. Instead, they’re looking for ways to cook nutritious, home-cooked meals more quickly so they can still sit down together and enjoy dinnertime, even on busy office days.”

Over half of consumers (54 per cent) of respondents actively changed how they cook during the working week as a result of increased office attendance.

The data also found that 69 per cent of workers between the ages of 25 and 44 said speed is a key factor when choosing what to cook midweek, which increased to 63 per cent among parents compared to 54 per cent of non-parents.