February 16th, 2021
They have got it all; ethically-sourced ingredients, a five star trustpilot rating, the official nutrition partner to the English Institute of Sport and not forgetting B Corp status – who might this be you ask? Mindful Chef of course!
Mindful Chef delivers health-focused recipe boxes to households in the UK. Founded in 2015 by three school friends Myles, Giles and Rob, the business has thrived on its core pillars of providing a range of meals for those with different diets and lifestyle choices, by using the freshest of ingredients that are sustainably sourced. “We don’t believe in meticulous calorie counting or following strict or faddy diets. We simply like incredible tasting, ethically-sourced ingredients that benefit you and your body.”
For them, having grown up in the West Country, not far from the first farms and fisheries that supplied their customers with award-winning produce, the quality of what goes into their boxes is of the utmost priority. They only source ethically and responsibly, working with small family-run British farms and suppliers who share their mindful values. Their meat is 100% grass-fed, their chicken is free-range, their fish landed fresh in the UK and their vegetables are cultivated in the most natural way possible, meaning that their boxes are packed full of fresh produce.
Its ordering portal is also a premium offering in that the customer can pick 2-5 meals they want to cook, on a no-contract, cancel anytime policy, which are delivered with a bright and engaging recipe book. And if that’s not already good enough, always keeping the customer at the heart of everything they do, boxes are designed to slot into your lifestyle and not get in the way of it. Recipes are all under 30 minutes, have less than 8 steps and each box is insulated, ensuring produce will stay fresh for up to 48 hours so you don’t even need to be in for delivery.
This is all braided under the “Mindful” banner of the company: namely that having a nutritious and healthy diet rides tandem with better physical and mental health, an improved sense of wellbeing, as well as being mindful of its suppliers and the environment.
They has been given B Corp (“Better Corp”) status, an award given by the nonprofit B Lab, which certifies and meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Mindful Chef also has an altruistic string to its bow, proudly donating to the “one feeds two” charity: for every box it sells, it donates a school meal to a child living in poverty. Since its inception, they have donated over three million meals, proud to be the first recipe box in the UK pioneering this ‘one for one’ model. Reaching their initial ambition of donating 1 million meals, is the equivalent to feeding 5,266 children through an entire academic year. So, not only does it give a child a free meal, it’s also getting them back into education, which is imperative to furthering their development through life.
Finally, as if they don’t already have enough strings to their bow, mindful that fresh food delivery naturally creates waste as a by-product and always working hard to improve their packaging and make it more environmentally friendly, a large amount of its packaging is recyclable or reusable, and can be sent back free of charge to the Mindful Chef warehouse.
The insulation that keeps perishable food cold and fresh is made from state-of-the-art recycled off-cuts from the cotton industry and the ice packs are eco-friendly, made from a non-toxic polymer gel. Both of these can be sent back to Mindful Chef using their free returns programme with Collect+. It doesn’t stop there, they are working hard to reduce the amount of single use plastic in their boxes and are looking into alternative packaging solutions, with the aim of having a plastic-free future.
To date, the company has delivered 5 million meals to its customers, and continues to deliver even in today’s strained conditions. Mindful Chef’s success is down to its thoroughness and adherence to those founding principles at many stages, from the sourcing with independents, ordering and supply, to the responsible aftercare surrounding its packaging. Ticking all these boxes and going that extra mile has a profound effect where the concentric circles of brand value, reputation, trust and success continue to ripple with positive outcomes for all.
Written by Alistair MacQueen, Writer & Creative.
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