These Are The Trashy Consequences Of Blue Apron Delivery

Buzzfeed

Of the many small indulgences and unbidden conveniences the current tech boom has given us, one of the most enticing might be the luxe meal-kit-in-a-box: A cardboard box of pre-packed ingredients, delivered to your door once a week or so with idiot-proof recipes included. For anyone who’s come home after a long day at work to find an empty fridge and an utter unwillingness to cook or shop the appeal is obvious: A kit offers the ease of takeout, but the joy (or bragging rights) of cooking, all for the low, low price of (roughly) $10 per meal.

Indeed, the consulting firm Technomic estimates that over the next decade, the meal-kit market will become as big as a $5 billion industry. More than half a dozen venture-backed, slickly marketed companies — among them Plated, Purple Carrot, HelloFresh, ChefDay!, Chef’d, GreenChef, Din, Peach Dish, and Blue Apron — are chasing the space, all with slightly different glosses and specialties. But at three years old, Blue Apron appears to be the breakout, with a $2 billion valuation, a footprint covering the majority of the country, and monthly delivery rate north of 5 million meals a month, according to a November Forbes profile. (Blue Apron declined be interviewed for this article.)

Last week, the service offered omnivores on the two-person plan “trattoria-style cheeseburgers with crispy rosemary-garlic potatoes and aioli,” “seared chicken and roasted sweet potato rounds with a chestnut and Brussels pan sauce,” and “North-African spiced shrimp with dates, kale, and carrots” — all delivered to your door in pre-portioned packages, and with prep times of about 45 minutes at most.

Continue reading at Buzzfeed