Learn how My Chef ready meals tick the 5 boxes of convenience

According to Iri Worldwide, “one-in-five Australians feels under time pressure when shopping”. Unsurprisingly, time in the supermarket is spent making quick, impulsive decisions based on the path of ease. No one wants to be researching recipes after a 10-hour day, or with hungry mouths to feed.

As Australians, we’re a busy bunch. Whether you’re a young professional putting in late hours at the office, or a parent juggling school runs, after school sport, work, exercise and social activities (cue nervous laughter), making time to cook can feel like a far cry – let alone the dreaded trip to buy groceries! We’re here to help you enjoy home-style meals packed with nutrients and ready in minutes. How many hours a week do you spend doing the groceries and cooking meals? And hmm, what would you do with some spare time?

We think convenience rules. Like most small business stories, My Chef was created from personal experience. In 2016, we were both working full-time with babies. With already plenty of decisions to make, meal planning was getting neglected, leading to time and money wasted in multiple smaller grocery store trips and last minute dinners. Night after night we found ourselves battling for time to cook and sit down and enjoy a family dinner. Mealtimes were just feeling like another job adding to the  overwhelm of life! Added to the fact that last minute shopping often led to more packaging and less thought into shopping and eating locally and seasonally, which was also important to both of us. This got us thinking…maybe we weren’t the only ones struggling. Combining Zoe’s childhood growing up on a farm and her passion for knowing where food comes from, with Frank’s culinary skills, we bought a small meals business, rebranded and relaunched My Chef with the mission of “sharing delicious, nutritious and convenient meals with other busy Aussie families.”

The five ‘ticks’ of convenience:

Convenience food retailers and manufacturers follow these basic checkpoints when creating a meal range, or stocking one in their stores:

1. Convenience – Does it save time?
   My Chef frozen meals are ready in 6-8 minutes and chilled meals in 2-3 minutes. Warm them in the oven, or for the ultimate quick-fix, they’re microwavable in minutes. Check the packaging for full details.
2. Affordable – Is it cheaper/comparable with cooking from scratch?
   We shop around to find the highest quality ingredients at the lowest prices. Whilst other ready meals may promise value, My Chef balances affordability AND quality. Stores currently price our individual serves between $10 and $11 and family and entertaining sizes between $14.50 and $34.99.
3. Easy to make – Are the instructions simple to follow?
   It couldn’t be easier! Farm Door meals are ready to heat in two simple steps; just remove the outer sleeve and heat in the microwave or oven. You don’t need to be a culinary extraordinaire to enjoy the meal range.
4. Diverse – Does it offer a range of flavours and textures (and not forgetting nutrients!)
   Frank (My Chef’s co-founder) is the flavours man. Growing up in a Lebanese family, food was about lovingly prepared recipes passed down through generations. Today, Frank combines traditional recipes with multi-cultural influences to create international flavours, made with local ingredients.
5. Sustainable and socially conscious – Are there options for those with dietary requirements? Are the ingredients sourced sustainably?
   Oh yes! Our ready meal range includes vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options. Plus, we have researched and sourced globally leading best practice sustainable packaging. Our frozen meal trays are compostable! 

Based just north of Wagga Wagga NSW in the Riverina Food Bowl,  ingredients are sourced from local farmers and artisans, supporting local and reducing our carbon footprint. Much of our meat, veggies, cheese, olive oil and specialty ingredients come from within a 1-hour drive of the My Chef kitchen. My Chef herbs and greens are grown on our family farm, just 10 minutes down the road.

Be a champion of convenience

Here are our simple hacks to maximise time and minimise stress in the kitchen:

• Food prep – Cook in bulk and portion it for lunches or dinner later in the week. Buying ingredients in bulk keeps costs down PLUS flavours develop after cooking. 
• Plan your shopping list – Go in with a plan before stepping foot in the shop. It’ll save you aimlessly wandering the aisles and ending up with a basket full of chips, dips and chocolate.
• Fill the freezer – If you’ve cooked extra serves then freeze them for a later date. Rice portions and pasta can be frozen and thawed in advance. Our favourite hack is to chop leftover fresh herbs and freeze them in ice cube trays to add an instant flavour punch to stocks, soups and pasta sauces.
• Stock up on My Chef Meals – Our range includes fresh, frozen, kids and family portions. Check your closest stockist across NSW, VIC, ACT and QLD.
• Deliver to your door – Check whether you’re in a delivery region to have meals delivered to your home. We prepare the fresh range each week to lock in nutrients, just like a home-cooked meal. Order weekly via our website.

Now the only question is, what will you do with all your new-found spare time?