There’s nothing sweeter than scouting for presents for a new arrival: but what new parents treasure most are the gifts of time, sleep… and food.
When I was invited to check out a company called The Food Stork that packages fresh, nutritious food parcels and gift boxes for new parents, I told the chef/owner Fleur Sladen that it was excellent timing.
My sister-in-law Yets was having her first baby and a delivery from The Food Stork would be a lovely surprise for her and my brother as well as a great opportunity to get an honest review.
I ordered a food box worth £40 and selected a combination of starter (Spiced Squash and Coconut soup), main (Lamb, Potato and Spinach Curry with rice) and dessert (Chocolate and Almond brownies). You can pick from a set menu or order a la carte from a wide range of dishes and each box comes with portions for two.
Soon after my niece was born, Fleur (pictured right) sent me an email to let me know she was delivering the package (typical deliveries are within 48 hours from order). I waited eagerly to hear from Yets. As I imagined, she was over the moon.
‘I can’t thank you enough for the gift that arrived this morning,’ she said. ‘It’s so thoughtful and the packaging was gorgeous.’
Later, my brother informed me it had taken days to persuade her to throw the empty box away.
So what was the food like?
‘Yummy,’ said Yets. ‘Especially the soup, really filling and tasty.’
She had wolfed down the main course too, although she did point out that she wouldn’t have minded some added kick to her curry.
‘I’m an African woman, I like it spicy!’ she said. ‘It was lovely though. For Anglo tastes, I’m sure it would have been perfect!’
There was plenty to spare of dessert so on my next visit, I had a chance to sample the brownies myself. Rich, moist, chewy and decadent. I had to stop myself from finishing off the lot!
Needless to say, The Food Stork box went down a treat. I think this is an excellent service that I would heartily recommend not just as a gift for brand new mamas and papas, but for anybody who could do with some extra TLC.
And what did my brother think?
‘Oh, was there some for him?’ my sis-in-law asked innocently. ‘I gave him a taste but I thought the extra packs were for me so I’ve stored them in the freezer. I’m having them later!’
I can’t argue with that. Sure, they both need spoiling but we all know who did the heavy lifting!
Order direct from The Food Stork online, minimum £40
*We were provided with a £40 food box for the purposes of this review.
