GET KITTED OUT

If you find the very idea of deciding what to cook stressful, you could go down the meal kit route. Companies such as Lim’s My Food Bag, Bargain Box, HelloFresh and Woop all have speciality Christmas boxes on offer.

“It takes out the shopping aspect, and that in itself can be useful for people,” says Lim.

The companies’ approaches to Christmas differ somewhat. Bargain Box, which positions itself as the most no-nonsense meal kit option, has a basic Christmas menu that promises to feed 8-10 meat-eaters a main, sides and dessert for the competitive price of $299, with five extras, including a vegan main, on offer. On the other hand, My Food Bag has four Christmas options – festive BBQ, classic Christmas, small classic Christmas, or plant-powered – which range from about $40 up to nearly $80 a head.

No matter which option you go for and how much you spend, your amount of control over what you’ll serve on the big day is very limited, but that’s sort of the point. If the menu planning and shopping aspect of Christmas dinner does not fill you with festive cheer, a meal kit is a simple, smart option. If you’re considering a meal kit, note that all four companies will deliver on December 22 or 23, so you won’t be able to do much in advance.