Why would you even Feast? What is the point of a WorldFeast meal kit?
Yesterday, my good lady and I were looking at what was ahead for us this week.
“What do we have on next weekend?” I asked.
“We’ve got some friends coming for lunch on Saturday,” came the response.
Immediately, minor dread set in.
You see, both we and they have young kids. Both we and they are busy with work and childcare. And neither we nor they really have the time at our disposal to put any real effort into designing a meal, shopping, cooking, etc. — particularly not on a Saturday lunchtime at the end of a long working week, with the joy of childcare to contend with. You know we love it, but it doesn’t half burn up a lot of energy.
“Anything in particular you fancy for lunch?” I asked.
“Let’s just WorldFeast,” she answered.
And immediately, the dread was gone.
Why?
We are a foodie household. You’d kinda have to be to set out on the journey of building a food business. And we have not seen these particular friends in a little while. Because of these factors, we want to put on a decent spread — something that will form the bedrock of an entirely enjoyable afternoon together.
This is not the day for cheese and pickle sandwiches and Party Rings.
But unlike days gone by, when such an endeavour could be planned for all week, shopped for all morning, and cooked for a couple of hours prior to arrival, we just don’t have the time for this anymore.
Enter the WorldFeast dinner party meal kit.
Here’s how it breaks down.
All of our meal kits are based on iconic world cuisines, use high-quality ingredients and ethically sourced meats, and are designed to be placed into an oven at a single temperature — meaning minimal fuss or skill is required. This means there are three promises we make: your food will be interesting, delicious, and very easy to prepare.
And if you are really pressed for time, we also provide Virtual Hosts and paired music playlists, which you can dip into as a means of entertaining your guests. The Virtual Host is designed to deepen your understanding of the cuisine you are about to eat, if you are so inclined, and the paired playlist is intended for straight-up party vibes. What else?
And given that the trials and tribulations of Dry January are now behind us, we also offer beer, wine, and cocktails — all paired to your meal. This really is a one-stop shop for everything you might need to entertain your guests, with very little effort or time required on your part. How is that not a win?
So what will we go for this weekend? Here are the choices at the moment:
The South Indian Adventure
British Indian cuisine is one of my all-time favourite meals. I, along with most of the population of the UK, was brought up on tikka masalas, dansaks, and of course, the classic vindaloo. This menu is not that.
The idea behind WorldFeast’s South Indian Adventure is that it demonstrates the difference between the adapted, standardised versions of Indian cuisine served in British Indian restaurants and the type of authentic Indian food you can avail yourself of in, well, India.
There is a good amount of choice available with the South Indian Adventure. You’ve got two types of starters, a choice of four mains, sides, sauces, breads, and puddings if you want them — all with differing spice levels depending on your audience. This would be ideal for those friends of yours who could do with a little spice in their lives.
You can choose for two, three, or four people — or double up if hosting more. The constraint is only how much you can fit in your oven. Oh, and the main courses take 30 minutes, so this is the quickest box we offer at the moment.
The Texas BBQ Experience
This is arguably our flagship box and by far our best seller so far. We have tried to replicate the buffet style of Texas smokehouses, so you can choose your meat and sides. True to the authentic experience, there are no starters available — but as the Texans love a pudding, there are a couple of those to choose from if you fancy a two-course meal.
All of the meats are slow-cooked for up to 14 hours over live oak wood fire, on an authentic offset smoker. It’s a labour of love for us — but it should be done properly or not at all, in our opinion.
With the sides and sauces, we’ve sought to replicate what you would get from a Texas smokehouse, with the Nutmeg Mac ’n’ Cheese and Smoky Pit Beans among the team favourites.
Once again, this is a single-oven setup, taking a maximum of 45 minutes at a single temperature, with only a couple of different timings to worry about.
So, what will we choose?
Well, with the order window open until midday on Wednesday, we’ve got a couple of days left to decide. But here’s what I know: whatever we choose, it will be made and delivered with love — and true to our promises, it will be interesting, delicious, and very easy to prepare.