Best ready meal delivery services
Ready-meal subscriptions deliver chef-prepared meals - frozen or long-life - that heat in minutes. They suit busy weeks, specific health needs and less-mobile households, with options from premium frozen meals to dietitian-designed and texture-modified ranges.
| Box | Type | Our rating | Value | Subscription | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Doctor | Ready Meals | 8.1/10 | £7.29 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| COOK | Ready Meals | 8/10 | £5.25 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| Wiltshire Farm Foods | Ready Meals | 7.8/10 | £4.45 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| allplants | Ready Meals | 7.3/10 | £4.50 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| Parsley Box | Ready Meals | 7/10 | £4.26 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
Ratings are our own editorial scores. Value shows price per portion where a box is priced that way, or the cheapest full-price box otherwise. Prices were checked in June 2026 and exclude introductory offers.
How ready-meal subscriptions work
These deliver chef-prepared meals that need only reheating - no cooking, just a few minutes in the microwave or oven. Most are frozen and stocked in your freezer; one (Parsley Box) is ambient and needs no fridge or freezer at all. You usually order what you want with no subscription, though some run flexible recurring plans.
Match the service to your need
This category is less about price and more about purpose:
- Premium frozen meals - COOK makes genuinely chef-quality frozen meals, priced as a treat, with a £45 minimum order.
- Specific health conditions - Field Doctor is dietitian-designed, with the UK's first certified low-FODMAP meals and ranges for gut health, weight and heart health.
- Older or less-mobile customers - Wiltshire Farm Foods delivers free by local drivers who will put meals in your freezer, and has a texture-modified range for swallowing difficulties.
- No fridge or freezer - Parsley Box meals are long-life and stored in the cupboard.
- Vegan - allplants does frozen plant-based meals with free delivery.
What they cost
Per meal, expect roughly £4.25 to £7.50: Parsley Box and Wiltshire Farm Foods around £4.25 to £4.45, allplants from £4.50, COOK from about £5.25, and Field Doctor from £7.29. Watch for minimum orders (COOK £45, Field Doctor around £50) and delivery charges, which vary by service and postcode.
Frozen, chilled or ambient?
Most are frozen, so you need freezer space but get a long shelf life. Parsley Box is the exception: ambient, long-life meals posted to any UK address, which is handy if freezer space is tight or you want no cold-chain hassle at all.
Frequently asked questions
Are ready meal deliveries healthy?
They vary. Field Doctor is dietitian-designed and the healthiest option for specific conditions; others are convenience-focused. As with any ready meal, check the nutrition per portion.
Which ready meal service is best for elderly relatives?
Wiltshire Farm Foods is built for this - free local delivery, drivers who will place meals in the freezer, simple phone ordering and a texture-modified range. Parsley Box is also good because it needs no freezer.
Do you need a subscription for ready meals?
Usually not. COOK, Field Doctor, Wiltshire Farm Foods and Parsley Box all work as one-off orders, with no recurring plan required.
Busy Bee Food may earn a referral reward when you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our ratings.