If you are thinking of trying a recipe box this autumn, both big names are running new-customer offers in October 2026. On 14 October, HelloFresh was offering 50% off your first box plus free treats for two months, while Gousto was offering 50% off your first box, 40% off the second and 20% off the next six. Here is how the two deals compare, what you pay once they end, and the deadlines to know.
The HelloFresh offer in October 2026
On its homepage on 14 October 2026, HelloFresh said: “Sign up and get 50% off your first box & free treats for 2 months!” It advertises meals “from just £1.82” per person, and says that if you order before noon, delivery can be as early as the next day.
- First box: 50% off.
- Extra: free treats for two months, according to HelloFresh.
- Weekly deadline: changes must be made by 11:59pm five days before your delivery, according to HelloFresh’s FAQ as quoted by What’s For Dinner.
- Flexibility: you can pause or cancel, and you only pay for the deliveries you receive, according to HelloFresh’s 2025 annual report.
Check the current offer on the HelloFresh website.
The Gousto offer in October 2026
Gousto’s offer is spread across your first eight boxes: 50% off the first, 40% off the second and 20% off boxes three to eight, according to its homepage on 14 October 2026. It also gives free next-day delivery on your first box when you complete sign-up before 11:59am on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.
- Price per portion: from £3.20 on a five-recipe, four-person box, or £1.60 with the first-box discount, excluding the £3.99 delivery fee and any surcharges, according to Gousto.
- Weekly deadline: noon, three days before your delivery day, according to Gousto’s help centre as quoted by What’s For Dinner.
- Flexibility: skip or cancel for free at any time, according to Gousto.
Gousto has also launched Heat & Eat ready meals, reported by The Grocer in August. See the offer on the Gousto website.
Which deal goes further?
On the first box, it is a tie: both take 50% off. After that, Gousto’s offer keeps going: 40% off box two and 20% off boxes three to eight. For a family taking a four-person, four-recipe box, What’s For Dinner quotes Gousto’s own prices: £27.50 for the first box instead of the usual £55, plus £3.99 delivery. HelloFresh’s free treats for two months are a nice extra, but the discount itself stops after the first box.
- If you want to try a recipe box once: either works, so pick on the menu you prefer.
- If you plan to keep going for two months: Gousto’s eight-box discount saves you more.
- If you like extras such as desserts and snacks: HelloFresh’s free treats tip the balance.
What happens when the offer ends?
Both offers are for new customers only. Gousto’s help centre says introductory discounts are “limited to a single use per customer”, according to What’s For Dinner. Once the discount runs out, you pay the full weekly price, so set a reminder before your last discounted box if you do not want to continue, and remember the weekly deadline: miss it, and both services choose recipes for you.
Two other first-box offers this month
If neither suits you, Mindful Chef was offering 30% off your first four orders and free delivery on your first box on 14 October 2026, with healthy, gluten-free recipes. And if you would rather shop for your own ingredients, SimplyCook sends recipe kits of spice blends and pastes: its homepage offered a first box for £5, then four kits a month for £9.99 plus £1.99 postage.
Who is each box for?
HelloFresh suits people who like next-day flexibility and extras on top of their dinners. Gousto suits families and anyone who wants the biggest choice of recipes and a discount that lasts beyond the first week. For more options, see our Gousto listing and our pick of food boxes.
The essentials
- HelloFresh, October 2026: 50% off your first box and free treats for two months (homepage, 14 October 2026); meals from £1.82 per person.
- Gousto, October 2026: 50% off box one, 40% off box two, 20% off boxes three to eight; from £3.20 per portion, £3.99 delivery, free next-day delivery on the first box.
- Both: new customers only; skip or cancel online.
Claim the HelloFresh first-box offer or the Gousto eight-box offer.
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