Best of the Gold Coast 2019: the region’s 11 best meal delivery services
Cooking everyday? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Best of the Gold Coast has found 11 of the best meal delivery services taking the pressure off the stovetop.
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Cooking everyday? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Amber Macpherson has found 10 of the best meal delivery services taking the pressure off the stovetop.
Performance Eating
performanceeating.com.au
This meal delivery service fuels your body for everyday life. While the name might hint at chicken and vegetables for maximum gains, co-owner Santiago Nogueras says their products are made for “active” people that take pleasure in eating a tasty meal.
“What we do is more wholesome and more flavourful. We prefer to give it a lot more flavour and offer home made-style meals,” Santiago says.
“I’d say 80 per cent of our customers are active, they either are in a sport team or take part in physical activity.
“At the moment that have three meals that have been in the menu since the start: the Balinese chicken curry, that comes with coconut rice; then the other one is a chilli con carne that is the bestseller with basmati rice, organic black beans and guacamole, that’s more South American style; then the other one is our vegetable pineapple curry.”
Operating out of Miami, Performance Eating opened in 2013 when the food delivery service on the Gold Coast was much smaller.
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“When we started there was not that many companies. In the last few years, there’s been so many doing this service,” Santiago says.
“As long as you keep your product consistent and good quality, that’s what keeps us still in business.
“We’re mostly Gold Coast delivery based, most of what we deliver is around the city and southern suburbs (of Brisbane) and we do Byron Bay now.”
Performance Eating offers meal plans in low calorie, high protein, seasonal rejuvenator and complete nutrition categories, with free delivery for all meal plans. There’s no subscription required, however customers have the option to sign up for a “set and forget” system which places the same order weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
NOURISH’D
nourishd.com.au
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Just like Neanderthals, businesses evolve. Once known as Caveman Kitchen, this Molendinar-based meal delivery service rebranded to Nourish’d in early 2018 to match its commitment to providing food “necessary for growth, health and peak condition”. The business is run by husband and wife team Dave and Abbey Crompton who employ chefs to make high quality meals and snacks. There’s more than 50 meals on a rotating menu every week that suit all kinds of dietary requirements including dairy-free, nut-free, paleo, keto, low carb, gluten free and vegetarian. The business is NDIS approved and claims to have helped a diabetic halve their medication by eating their nutritious meals.
Gluten Free Meal Co
glutenfreemealco.com.au
Coeliacs, rejoice — the days of squinting and straining your eyes at the ingredients on labels are over. Gluten Free Meal Co has been giving coeliacs peace of mind for more than 20 years with its range of delicious yet totally wheat and gluten free meals. The business was started by the Gohil family, in particular the caring Grandma Sarla who couldn’t bare watching her niece miss out on sharing family meals. Gluten Free Meal Co representative Samir Gohil says the wide menu covers main meals, vegetarian dishes, finger food, desserts and soups. “Our best selling dishes include the butter chicken, lamb rissole, roast chicken, roast beef and penne bolognese,” Samir says. “We have also just launched our four delicious soups for winter. There are also no delivery fees or lock-in contracts.”
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HERBIDOOR
herbidoor.com
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Herbidoor only started its vegan meal delivery service early last year but has since expanded to four states — and owner Matt Goss puts it down to the adorable mascot dinosaur. “It’s a cute dinosaur that eats vegies,” Matt says. “He talks to the customers and asks ‘what are you thinking of the food? What would you like on the menu?’.” The options are divided into three sections: flexitarian with mock meats, comfort food and traditional plant-based fare. “The most popular (dish) seems to be anything with pasta in it,” Matt says. “Creamy carbonara, mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, stroganoff and also the curries.”
Cameron’s Kitchen
cameronskitchen.com.au
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Free delivery on the Gold Coast sweetens the deal at Cameron’s Kitchen. The family-run meal delivery service has also found success in a short amount of time, opening in early 2018 and since expanding its delivery to Brisbane and northern New South Wales. Owner Malcolm Cameron says the meals are restaurant quality, cooked by chefs with experience in international kitchens. “We don’t make food, we create an experience for our customers,” Malcolm says. “We present the food in a way that’s interesting and colourful. One of our popular meals is our Thai barbecue chicken, it is a northern Thailand recipe. And we also have a traditional range of silver side and vegetables, stroganoff, and the old favourites which is the grandma style cooking of the dinners that we had when we were young.”
Soulara
soulara.com.au
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Nirvana carbonara, salted caramel dreams, golden glow stir fry — Soulara’s menu is bound to have your tummy rumbling. The plant-based meal delivery service is additive and preservative free, sending out its innovative and unique vegan meals to cities and towns in every mainland state. “Our vision for ethical and sustainable living is supported by our fast-growing community of people from all walks of life,” Soulara spokeswoman Melissa Fine says. “The healing turmeric soup, created by our founder Yuki in her kitchen in Soulara’s early days, is one of our top-rated dishes. Our coconut and ginger-infused jungle curry, and soya, edamame and black fungi udon are also bestsellers.”
Gourmet Meals
gourmetmeals.com.au
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Frozen in the kitchen and delivered straight to your freezer — that’s the Gourmet Meals way. The Gold Coast-based business has been offering its meal delivery service for 26 years and hasn’t lost sight of its most valuable asset: its customers. “We offer a more personalised service, so when we get to the customers house we are more than happy to unpack them into the freezer for them,” Gourmet Meals manager Lizzy Baird says. “The frozen meals can last for up to 15 months. They’re snap frozen, so they’re frozen at a high and fast temperature. That preserves all the nutrients for us. We don’t add any extra preservatives. They just go straight from the freezer and straight in to the microwave for four and a half minutes.” Gourmet Meals’ cottage pie, honey soy chicken, corned beef and fruit pavlova are among the bestsellers.
Fresh Meals 2 U
freshmeals2u.com.au
When Tracy and Rick Coles couldn’t find a meal delivery service on the Gold Coast that offered fresh, healthy and tasty options, they made it happen themselves. The couple worked in restaurants before opening Fresh Meals 2 U six years ago. “Our cut is more restaurant quality meals,” Tracy says. “We’ve got spaghetti bolognese, gourmet chicken parmigiana, roast beef and salmon. Our Portuguese chicken with bacon and cheese is really popular. We’ve also launched a vegan and vegetarian range.” The company puts out about 1200 meals a week and delivers from the Sunshine Coast to northern New South Wales. “Most of the feedback are that our meals are tastier than your other brands,” Tracy says. “My husband does the driving as well on the Gold Coast so there’s that personal touch, the customers are talking to the owner when their meals arrive.”
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Dietlicious
dietlicious.com.au
Dieting is stressful on its own, so Dietlicious takes the pressure out of the kitchen when you’re looking to get in shape. The company offers meal plans starting at 800 calories a day for quick weight loss, going up to 1800 for men looking to build muscle through training. There’s also the option to “food cleanse” with three, five and 10-day cleanses featuring meals free of wheat, gluten, dairy, red meat, sugar and preservatives. Customers can also build their own meal plans or order one-off deliveries of individual meals as they please as long as the minimum spend is $50.
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Thr1ve
thrivemeals.com.au
Thr1ve knows eating better is only part of the process to a healthy life, so this meal delivery service offers a lifestyle program to try with its nourishing fresh food. The eight-week program combines low-carb, portion controlled meals with strength and high intensity interval training to help customers achieve their “dream body”. There’s also express meal plans with low carb, low sugar and low calorie options, or individual meals to build your box. A new range of winter warming soups have just hit the menu, including chicken laksa, miso chicken and supergreen, while quality meats with vegetables and colourful salads make up the other choices.
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Greenhouse Inhouse
greenhousecanteen.com
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This vegan cafe franchise knows life is hard, and cooking makes it harder. The local legends at Greenhouse Canteen branched out to take-home meals a couple of years ago and conscientious consumers are loving their packs of nourishing and delicious plant-based food. One of their vegan and gluten free meal deals for $65 will sustain you for the working week, with five dishes plus snacks included. There’s also a two-week option with 10 meals for those looking to lock a good thing down. The dishes include a jackfruit curry, cottage pie, risotto, mac and cheese, stir fry, and many more. Greenhouse doesn’t deliver its Inhouse option but picking it up yourself means you never have to worry about distrustful, hungry neighbours.
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