SimplyCook

High-Level Overview

SimplyCook is a London-based subscription service that delivers recipe kits—containing spice blends, sauces, and herbs developed by professional chefs—paired with simple 20-minute recipe cards, allowing users to create restaurant-quality meals using just 4-6 fresh ingredients from their regular grocery shop.[1][3][5] It targets busy home cooks seeking flavorful, affordable dinners without full meal kit hassles, solving issues of meal inspiration, cooking confidence, and cost by keeping meals at £2-£6 per person while avoiding fresh food logistics.[1][3] Founded in 2014, it raised $9.52M before being acquired by Nestlé in February 2021, shipping over 700,000 kits monthly at its peak and competing in the food & meal delivery space against Gousto and HelloFresh.[2][3]

Origin Story

SimplyCook was founded in 2014 by Oli Ashness, a former VC at DFJ Esprit, who conceived the idea while navigating a hectic London lifestyle that left little time for quality home cooking.[1][3] Frustrated by the time and expense of sourcing multiple ingredients for new recipes, Ashness developed the "you just add the fresh food" model to make flavorful meals accessible without deviating into costly fresh delivery.[1][3] The company launched shortly after, gaining early traction through its focus on high-quality flavor kits and quick recipes; it grew its team, secured £4.5M in Series A funding led by Octopus Investments, and scaled to ship over 700,000 kits monthly before Nestlé's 2021 acquisition.[2][3][4]

Core Differentiators

• Ingredient-Focused Kits: Unlike full meal kits (e.g., HelloFresh, Gousto), SimplyCook sends only curated flavor boosters (herbs, spices, sauces) for 4 meals per box, letting users source fresh basics from their weekly shop—reducing waste, cost, and logistics.[1][2][5]
• Affordability and Flexibility: Subscriptions start at £2.50/week post-trial, with short shopping lists (4-6 items), 20-minute prep, and no-commitment pauses/cancellations; meals cost £2-£6/person total.[3][5]
• Ease and Flavor Guarantee: Chef-devised blends (up to 23 ingredients per pot) ensure "extraordinary flavour" and success for novice cooks, emphasizing discovery of new cuisines via simple recipes.[3][5]
• User Control: Flexible timing, scalable portions, and high repeat value (e.g., leftovers), praised for outperforming competitors in taste and simplicity.[5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

SimplyCook rides the meal kit and home cooking boom, accelerated by busy lifestyles, TV food culture, and post-COVID demand for convenient, waste-minimizing delivery—positioning it in the $1,530-company-strong food & meal delivery sector.[2][3] Its timing capitalized on consumers' desire for inspiration amid limited repertoires (most cook only 6 meals), while sidestepping fresh food perishability and high costs that plague rivals.[1] By blending e-commerce tech (subscriptions, scalable shipping) with chef expertise, it influences the ecosystem toward hybrid models—empowering "Britain cooking" with affordable discovery, now amplified under Nestlé's global reach.[2][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Post-2021 Nestlé acquisition, SimplyCook is poised to expand its subscription model globally, leveraging Nestlé's resources for new recipes, tech enhancements (e.g., personalized AI recommendations), and deeper grocery integrations amid rising living costs.[2][5] Trends like inflation-driven home cooking, sustainability (less waste), and flavor innovation will fuel growth, potentially evolving it into a platform blending physical kits with digital apps. As meal delivery matures, its lean differentiator could redefine accessibility, tying back to Ashness's vision of hassle-free, flavorful dinners for all.