Have fun with your inner chef and UCOOK

Ever since hearing about UCOOK from a colleague, I have been dying to try it out. At the time, all I knew was that you pick out a dish from their menu, and they proceeded to deliver the ingredients that you need to make it fresh from scratch. I clearly did not know much as they offer so much more.

UCOOK Meal Kit plans

One of the treats that UCOOK offers comes in the form of Meal Kit Plans. These are Premium plans that have that je ne sais quoi. They instantly add an extra element of lushness to a dish. Feel free to personalise your meals to your dietary needs, diet or any other preference.

Meal Kit Plans available

Premium

Expect the likes of duck or Wagyu beef on this plan. A top-tier selection of proteins and recipes that will bring an extra-special sparkle to your plates and table.

Saver

The finest ingredients that will not break the bank and still impress.

Health Nut

Great for those who are mindful about what goes into their bodies. Not to worry – no flavour is harmed during the preparation of these dishes.

Easy Peasy

Perfect for those days when you are on autopilot. As easy as bish bash bosh – and you are good to dine!

Vegetarian

Create and indulge in these meat-free treats!

Global Eats

Let your palate be your ticket to your world! Journey to Japan, Italy and even Spain right in the comfort of your dining room.

Gluten Conscious

Minimise your gluten consumption with this plan that will not have you missing the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and numerous other foods.

Dairy-Free

No cream, milk or cheese? No problem! Still just as satisfactory.

Pork-Free

Whether it is for cultural/religious beliefs or you just never took to the taste of pork – worry not. Taste is still just as superb as the dishes with pork.

Whatever your taste – UCOOK has dinner (and sometimes lunch) covered. You can even filter further by:

• The number of calories
• What type of meal you feel like
• Crowd-pleasers to make it even easier for you
• Stovetop only meals

And so much more. Honestly, you have to appreciate how much control UCOOK puts in your hands. The ultimate two cherries on top? You get to determine the number of servings, and they revise their menu week by week. A great way to keep levelling up your game!

UCOOK Meal Plans I ordered

Wanting to order a bit of everything on the site, I did my best to use up my R1000 voucher to order as much as I could. I ultimately decided on:

• Higgs’ Golden Chorizo Mussels
• Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
• Higgs’ Sumptuous Sirloin
• Nutritious Ostrich Steak

Zero regrets, all joy. My inner chef was resurrected and it felt so good to dance with her again.

I really appreciate that each dish includes timestamps such as:

• Cook within x days
• Approximate overall cooking time

This, again, allows freedom. Freedom to plan your time accordingly and really centre your schedule around the grand finale of the day – din-dins. Or a late lunch or whatever you make it because the experience will be built around the meal.

The portions are more than! I ordered everything for two and it could have easily been split for three. Love it! Very few things say South African like portion size and UCOOK does not skimp (keep that up, please). I enjoyed working with new ingredients – such as pickling liquids – and indulging in the different natural textures and tastes as they emerge seamlessly together.

Guys – what a treat!

The website is easy to navigate. Instead of creating an account first, I surfed the site 1st, decided what I wanted and then created an account. Either way, you decide to do it, you will get what you want. To drive down food waste, UCOOK works on a weekly ordering schedule, meaning you order the week before you receive your order which allows you to plan your meals in advance. Hello, meal prep made easy!

Keep in mind that UCOOK is subscription-based. Meaning, when signing up you activate your subscription and this will auto-renew each week unless you choose to pause or change, depending on how you ordered your first meal. I almost learned this the hard way. So, be aware of this.

What can you look forward to?

Well, UCOOK is the first Meal Kit service in South Africa to be able to offer premium a-grade, fresh proteins, greens and grains; I am hoping for a confectioneries menu.

They already have:

• Frozen craft meals
• Baby food
• Wines (which, by the by, every meal kit comes with a recommendation of the best bottle to accompany the meal)

With all that, it would not be far fetched to hope that they would add dessert to the menu. You know, something soft and sweet always finishes off the meal.

Reimagine and ignite your love for cooking – again if need be. Delicious meals that are hassle-free and put together by your specifications. UCOOK gives you the freedom to dine out in the comfort of your own home.

Get more out of your UCOOK cart

UCOOK is offering you a 20% off your first UCOOK cart. Everything that makes up your first order from UCOOK will be slashed by 20% except for wine.

On checkout, all you have to do is add the discount code #JUSTTIMMINGS20 at checkout. Be sure to include the # for the code to be applied. Code is valid until 31 December 2021.