Leading recipe box company Gousto, has reported record financial performance and a return to growth in 2025, as rising return-to-office rates and shifting consumer behaviours drive surging demand for convenient and healthy home-cooked meals.
Amid a growing pace of life and changing work patterns, Brits are increasingly seeking smarter, more convenient dinner options, with over 50 million dinners each week now chosen primarily for convenience*. Gousto is cementing its position as the go-to solution for quality conscious busy households, by doubling down on Choice, Convenience and Health.
This week, Gousto posted a record EBITDA of £42 million for 2024, marking a year of double-digit margins and maiden full-year positive free cashflow. Revenue rose to £312 million, reflecting resilient demand despite wider economic headwinds. Momentum continued into early 2025 with accelerated growth and market share gains, fuelled by Gousto’s sharpened focus on meeting customer needs.
“Convenience is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a non-negotiable,” said Timo Boldt, Founder & CEO of Gousto. “But Brits are refusing to sacrifice quality. Gousto delivers both: nutritious, high quality meals and real convenience. That means more than quick delivery. It’s about lifting the mental load of meal planning, creating a stress-free and more enjoyable dinnertime.”
Return-to-office drives new mealtime norms
The resurgence of office working is a key catalyst. Recent data reveals nearly nine in ten UK workers are now required to return to the office more frequently, with the proportion of companies mandating four days rising from 46% to 50% in just 12 months**. This seismic shift is transforming dinner time with average cooking time at an all-time low of 30 minutes for dinner***.
In response, Gousto’s convenience ranges surged in popularity last year including:
Slow Cooker, comforting recipes with easily prepped ingredients thrown into the slow cooker like the Beef Stroganoff Tortiglioni, saw orders up by 284% year-on-year
One Pan Wonders, recipes made in one pot, pan or tray like the Garlic Sausage & Mushroom Orzo, saw orders up by 200% year-on-year
Prepped in 5, quick prep dinners with pre-chopped ingredients and straightforward instructions like the Basa & Mexican-Style Rice, also saw a strong 20% uplift
In total, Gousto’s dedicated convenience range sold 371,000 more portions in 2024 than the year before, reflecting the country’s increasing demand for ease at mealtimes.
Responding to the continued demand for convenience, Gousto has dramatically expanded its convenience offering in 2025, with plans to grow this more later in the year. Nearly one-third of its menu is now made up of convenient options, a 26% increase since 2022, with new ranges like No Cook – 10 minute meals to support households throughout the busy summer period, with quick-to-prep recipes using only a kettle, toaster, or microwave.
Healthy choices, fast
Over a third of Brits (37%) say a lack of time is the main barrier to cooking fresh, healthy food at home, with a quarter (24%) citing lack of inspiration. Overcoming these barriers, Gousto’s health-focused ranges were the most popular category on its menu in 2024, with demand up 61.2% year-on-year****.
Sales of its Protein Hit range – high protein, quick recipes with at least 30g of protein and option to double up protein for extra gains – soared by 223%, as data from Mintel shows over 1 in 2 UK adults now actively seek out protein when choosing their food. Today, Gousto offers 150% more healthy recipes on its menu compared to last year.
Timo Boldt continues: “With over 200 weekly recipes, customisable meals, and the UK’s only recipe box serving 1–5 person households, Gousto continues to make eating well the easy option. Our “Chosen for You” AI-powered menus tailor recommendations to each customers’ taste, while trials for next-day delivery are helping us compete directly with supermarkets for the broader dinner market”.
Changing tastes
Gousto’s data also reveals evolving food trends among UK households. While demand for healthy convenience is surging, vegan and vegetarian recipes have seen year-on-year declines, with Vegan orders down 10.5% and Vegetarian down 12.8%, continuing a multi-year decline in Veganuary participation.
