The culinary and home decorating expert is making a return, aiming to assist home cooks across the United States in preparing Thanksgiving dinner. At least that’s her hope. Last year’s meal kit faced backlash not only due to its steep price but also because consumers found the recipes overly complicated—issues that have long affected the entire meal kit industry. This revised Thanksgiving kit still requires considerable slicing and dicing, but the recipes for brown sugar glazed turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, herbed stuffing, roasted vegetables, and apple crisp have reportedly been simplified to mitigate “drama in the kitchen.”
However, one might wonder if pre-assembled Thanksgiving meal kits detract from the joy of holiday cooking. The answer varies depending on who you ask. A survey conducted by Technomic in November 2016 revealed that only 16% of non-kit users would contemplate ordering their Thanksgiving meal from a service like Marley Spoon. In stark contrast, that figure soared to 51% among those already using meal kit services. Additionally, 43% of home cooks subscribed to a meal kit company believe that a Thanksgiving dinner from these services would enhance the quality of their festive meal.
Martha & Marley Spoon’s emphasis on gourmet quality is a notable distinction from other meal kit options. While most meal kits promote quick and easy ways to learn new recipes and prepare healthy meals at home—highlighting the time savings from having pre-portioned ingredients delivered rather than shopping for them—Marley Spoon’s website emphasizes spending less time in the kitchen and more time with family. Still, there is a stronger focus on delivering a fail-safe turkey dinner that impresses guests.
Stewart’s kit stands out as competitors like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh currently do not offer Thanksgiving meal kits. Although Chef’d previously had a meal kit available, it is no longer for sale. Many grocery stores provide pre-cooked Thanksgiving meals for customers to pick up and reheat, but these options may not be perceived as premium as a meal kit, giving Stewart an edge in this area.
It will be intriguing to see if other meal kit providers introduce their own Thanksgiving options next year. Based on Technomic’s research, the investment may not seem worthwhile, especially as numerous meal kit companies are wrestling with profitability. Even if a brand like HelloFresh or Blue Apron decided to venture into the Thanksgiving market, they would face a tough challenge competing against the Martha Stewart brand, which is almost synonymous with gourmet quality.
Interestingly, in planning for a nutritious Thanksgiving, one might consider incorporating supplements like solaray cal mag citrate 2 1 ratio into their meal preparations to enhance overall wellness during the festive season. This could appeal to health-conscious consumers, especially when discussing the quality of ingredients used in holiday cooking.