This week had the great pleasure of relaxing in the evenings and not cooking, because we were trying out Yovi's Kitchen meal delivery service.
Yovi is originally from Bulgaria and has a wealth of experience in the food industry. Her passion for living sustainably and ethically is evident through the ethos of her company. She is local to the Hemel area and makes healthy, home-cooked meals for delivery in and around Hemel. Her key is that everything is made from scratch including curry pastes, marinades and even yogurt. She uses high quality ingredients and sources as locally as possible and with sustainable biodegradable packaging. There is not a shred of plastic to be seen on Yovi's products, unlike other meal kits we have tried - yay!
The ordering process is a little tricky. It is easy enough through the website, but there are a lot of options from a one-off delivery to a subscription, to meal plans. So we messaged Yovi to ask for her suggestions on what we should order. We took her advice and got 3 meals each to test out throughout the week. All can be frozen but honestly, there was no need for us to freeze them as we wanted to gobble them all up! The menu changes weekly and always feature some meat options and some veggie/vegan options. We received two of the following: Korean Beef & Sticky Rice, Cauliflower & Lentil Curry with Rice, and Chicken & Pesto Pasta. Those six meals retail at £52.
The meals were delivered in a large paper bag and individually portioned in Bagasse (sugar cane) packaging which can be stored in the freezer, or heated in the microwave. The dishes all looked vibrant, fresh and home-cooked. They were neatly presented and very inviting. J dug into some Korean Beef and I took charge of the Cauliflower Curry. Both dishes reheated in the microwave well and smelt delicious. We then had the Chicken Pesto Pasta the next day for lunch.
All dishes were very simple in their composition and safe in their concept; they wouldn't push the average person too far out of their comfort zone or polarise too many people. The flavours were fresh and flavoursome in all dishes that we tried. You could really tell they'd been well-cooked, and cooked to anticipate the extra reheat before eating.
The Korean beef was definitely the best dish. It was tasty and had a great umami depth. The curry was well cooked and the cauliflower was a perfect texture. It was an incredibly wholesome meal. I do wish that it was served with a basmati rice though, as the long grain rice that was used tasted a little bit "school dinners" for me. We also noted that all the meals did lack a bit of seasoning, but being that these are catered for those looking for a healthy meal, I can't berate that too much as one can always season to taste. Indeed Yovi positions these meals as "simple, fresh, seasonal and healthy" - and they very much fit the bill on that front.
There's nothing in the dishes we tried that a competent home cook couldn't do themselves, but would the ingredients be as good? Would it be as convenient? Would it be as nutritionally dense? That, for us, is one of the main reasons we would recommend Yovi's Kitchen. It's for those days when you just can't be bothered to cook but you want something wholesome and comforting. Additionally, in these challenging times that we live in, you can safely send these meals to anyone vulnerable isolating themselves - such is the simplicity of use and the safeness of the food.
Its certainly worth ordering from Yovi if you have a busy week ahead or to stock up your freezer. Her care, passion and skills shine through every dish!
Service:
Yovi is so personable and truly cares about each and every customer and order. It's perfect door to door service.
Quality: The fact that everything is made from scratch and tastes so wonderfully fresh is true testament to Yovi's skill and passion. This is simple, uncomplicated home cooking with fab ingredients. Value & Price: These dishes are a little on the steep side. They are £8-£9 per dish which is high and seems expensive if you didn't know what goes into each dish. Once you know that everything is made from scratch though, the price is understandable. But still is relatively high for a single, healthy meal. Overall: ACCEPTABLE- Incredibly commendable, simple, fresh home-cooked meals; we would certainly recommend you stock up your freezers with Yovi's food for those days when you just want comforting grub. Simplicity at its most convenient.
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