11 meal kits to try at home on Valentine’s Day 2022

Pasta Evangelists

Couples can transport themselves to Italy with this romantic menu from Pasta Evangelists, which delivers fresh, restaurant-quality pasta by post. Its Venetian Valentine’s offering features a range of dishes inspired by the family-owned eateries of Venice, from Sea Bass Ravioloni with Dill Butter & Samphire to Venetian Duck Ragu with Freshly Made Gnocchi. The menu is available for delivery from 7 until 20 February, with prices starting from £6.35 per portion. 

Mai Dim Sum

London-based gourmet dim sum company Mai Dim Sum is offering a feast of handmade dumplings and buns for Valentine’s Day. Blending traditional styles with contemporary flavours, the package contains 20 pieces of dim sum in 10 different varieties, including Hand Painted Mushroom Bao, Duck & Butternut Squash Dumpling and Pork & Prawn Shui Mai. There are even two types of sweet bao bun for dessert, flavoured with rose leaf and custard respectively. The box is available from the Mai Dim Sum website and will be out for delivery from 3 February (rsp: £45).

Tyga

Asian meal kit specialist Tyga is adding colour, flavour and plenty of escapism to Brits’ Valentine’s celebrations with a range of Date Night Hampers (rsp: £35). Each box is inspired by a different city in Asia, with India, Vietnam and Thailand all represented. For example, the Date Night in Hanoi Hamper contains all the dried ingredients to make a Pho Noodle Soup & Larb Lettuce Wraps, while couples can recreate the flavours of Bangkok with Chicken Satay & Thai Green Curry. As well as a meaty Date Night in Jaipur box, there is a vegan version offering Sweet Potato Saag, Cumin Potato and Mushroom Bhaji. The boxes also contain two Boodles gin miniatures, botanicals for cocktail making and orange & jasmine tealights to set the mood. 

Côte at Home

Diners will have the chance to sample Côte’s Valentine’s Day fare whether they choose to eat out or at home this year. The French brasserie chain has created a special blood orange-inspired menu for its restaurants, while a three course Saint-Valentin set menu will be available through its At Home service. The latter (rsp: £84.95) features British Scallops, Smooth Chicken Liver Parfait or Goats Cheese Tartlets to start, followed by Lobster Thermidor or a Chateaubriand Steak served with caramelised red onion, creamed spinach, sliced potatoes and truffle jus. The meal is brought to a close with either a Lemon & Armagnac Posset or a melt-in-the-middle Chocolate & Almond Fondant. Diners also have the option to add a bottle of Cremant De Bourgogne for an additional £20. The menu is available for delivery from 9 until 14 February.

Australasia 

Offering modern Australian cuisine with influences of Japan and south east Asia, Australasia is a contemporary restaurant in the heart of Manchester. This month, consumers all over the country can experience the restaurant through its Valentine’s Cook At Home Menu (rsp: £99). The five-course meal kicks off with edamame beans and a selection of sushi, followed by chicken and beef robata skewers. There is then a choice of main dishes – Suckling Pork Belly & Pineapple Curry or Miso Baked Cod – as well as sides of Tenderstem broccoli and coconut rice. Finally, the meal is drawn to a close with the Chocolate & Vanilla Dome Dessert. The menu can be ordered from the Australasia website until 10 February, with the option to add wine (rsp: £30) or a pair of cocktails (rsp: £16) for an additional cost.

Gousto

Recipe box provider Gousto has created a pair of new two-course meals for the most romantic day of the year. Customers can choose from Garlic & Chilli Prawns followed by Beef Chuck Ragu & Mash, or start with Mozzarella Crostinis before moving on to Roasted Tomato Risotto with Cheesy Heart Crisps. Couples will recieve all the ingredients and instructions they need to create their Valentine’s feast, and can also add a bottle of Prosecco Rose and a pair of Red Velvet Gü desserts from the Gousto Market to complete the package. Prices start from £6.25 per serving when ordering for two people.

Wright Brothers

Lovers of all things seafood should look no further than Wright Brothers for their Valentine’s Day dinner. The online fishmonger has a range of dishes to choose from to create a three-course feast of fish, including starter, main and dessert (rsp: from £28). The starter selection includes oysters, scallops, smoked salmon and langoustines, while brill, sea bass, tuna and lobster are all available for the main event. There are also sharing dishes such as a salmon en croute, beef wellington and whole Dover sole on offer. To finish, diners can choose from sticky toffee pudding or melt in the middle chocolate fondant desserts.

Farmison & Co

Sustainable online butcher Farmison & Co is offering two new boxes for Valentine’s Day, both centred around a dish synonymous with date night. The first is a Steak Lovers Sharing Box (rsp: £65). As well as a sirloin sharing steak, peppercorn sauce and chips, it features smoked salmon to start and two 80% Colombian dark chocolate ganache desserts from Pots & Co. Couples that want to add a little decadence to their evening can opt for the Luxury Steak & Caviar Box (rsp: £135). After a starter of smoked salmon and Kings Caviar, the centrepiece is a chateaubriand steak for for two, accompanied by truffle and parmesan butter, red wine sauce and beef dripping Koffman chips. The box also includes two chocolate ganache pots and a bottle of Calacombe Estate 2018 Blanc De Noir sparkling wine. Both launch online today (7 February).

Mindful Chef

Healthy recipe box company Mindful Chef is spoiling its customers for choice with 13 new Valentine’s specials, which are available for delivery between 13 and 19 February. The menu includes dishes such as Seared Mushroom ‘Scallops’ with Smoked Garlic Mash, Black Rice Prawn & Sugar Snap Risotto with Chilli Oil and Pork Valentine with Hasselback Potatoes & Creamed Leeks (pictured above). There are four dessert options, ranging from Lemon Polenta Cake to Raspberry Beetroot Brownie (pictured above).

Rockfish

This January, Rockfish launched its online fishmonger service Seafood at Home, which offers fresh seafood caught on the south west coast and processed by the Rockfish team at Brixham Market. This month, Seafood at Home is offering two Valentine’s Day boxes (rsp: £85-£90). Both boxes feature an appetiser of bonito and anchoiade, followed by two spiny lobster tails with thermidor butter to start. Shoppers can then opt for one of two sharing main courses: Whole Monkfish Tail with Lime Pickle Butter or Turbot Loin with Bearnaise Butter. The boxes are available to order now until 10 February for delivery on 11 February.

Macknade

Food hall concept Macknade, which has locations across Kent as well as an online store, is giving shoppers the chance to bring its fine food experience home this Valentine’s Day. Its At Home Kit contains all the ingredients needed to create a three-course meal, along with a step-by-step recipe guide. To start, there is a Grazing Platter (rsp: £17.50) of cheese, charcuterie, olives and stuffed peppers. For the main course, diners can choose from either Fillet Steak with Café du Paris Butter or Mushroom & Truffle Orzo Risotto (rsp: £30). Finally, there is a Sicilian Blood Orange Syllabub to finish (rsp: £15). The three courses can be purchased together (rsp: £60) or separately, and are available for nationwide delivery or collection between 11 and 14 February.