HelloFresh’s November first box costs £1.75 a portion, 15p more than Gousto’s £1.60

HelloFresh‘s new-customer offer in November 2026 puts a first box for four people with five recipes at £1.75 a portion, or £35 in total. Gousto‘s first box for the same four people and five recipes is £1.60 a portion, or £32, so it is £3 cheaper before extras, and its discount runs for six boxes. Both prices come from the brands’ own websites on 30 October 2026.

What does the HelloFresh offer give you in November 2026?

The HelloFresh homepage on 30 October says: “Get 50% off your first box & free treats for 2 months! Free delivery with your first order!” The HelloFresh discount page adds that the offer is for new subscribers creating their first account, and that existing customers can use its £20 referral scheme instead.

The same page shows a price-per-portion table labelled “First box with new customer discount”. Some of the prices it lists:

• 2 people, 2 recipes: £3.50 a portion.
• 2 people, 3 recipes: £2.62 a portion.
• 3 people, 4 recipes: £2.17 a portion.
• 4 people, 4 recipes: £1.87 a portion.
• 4 people, 5 recipes: £1.75 a portion.

HelloFresh says there is no minimum term, and you can skip a week, change your plan or cancel at any time. Its discount page also mentions 20% off the following boxes for one month in its general text, while the homepage headline covers only the first box and the free treats, so check what your own checkout shows.

How does the Gousto offer compare?

Gousto’s homepage on 30 October lists 50% off the first box, 40% off the second and 20% off boxes three to six, with free next-day delivery on your first box. Gousto says the price per portion is £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 recipe surcharges. You can skip or cancel for free at any time.

That is how the first box compares for four people and five recipes (20 portions):

• HelloFresh: £1.75 a portion, £35.00 for the box, with free delivery on your first order.
• Gousto: £1.60 a portion, £32.00 for the box, with free next-day delivery on your first box.

If Gousto’s £3.20 a portion stays the same, the discount saves about £108.80 across six boxes: £32 off the first, £25.60 off the second and £12.80 off each of the next four. That is our own arithmetic on a £64 box, before delivery fees and surcharges. We covered the shorter Gousto deal in our Gousto November 2026 offer article, and our HelloFresh vs Gousto October comparison has the earlier numbers.

What we think: which recipe box is cheaper to try?

Our take is that Gousto wins on the first box and on how long the discount lasts, while HelloFresh’s free treats are the extra that could swing it if you like desserts and snacks. The gap on a family box is £3, and it can vanish once recipe surcharges are added, so pick the menu you want to cook rather than the lowest headline price.

If you want to try a box once, either works and the £3 difference hardly matters. If you plan to keep going for a month or two, Gousto’s 40% and 20% boxes make it the cheaper way to start. Whichever you choose, set a reminder before the discount ends, because you pay the full weekly price after that, and a skipped deadline means the box is chosen for you. Our listings for each service have more on how it works.

Want more food boxes to compare? See our pick of food subscription boxes.

Price and subscription: the essentials

• HelloFresh first box: 50% off, plus free treats for two months and free delivery on your first order. For four people with five recipes it is £1.75 a portion, £35.00 in total.
• Gousto first box: 50% off, then 40% off box two and 20% off boxes three to six. For four people with five recipes it is £1.60 a portion, £32.00 in total, excluding surcharges, with free next-day delivery on the first box.
• Gousto full price: £3.20 a portion on a five-recipe, four-person box, plus a £3.99 delivery fee.
• Both: new customers only, skip or cancel at any time.
• Prices checked: 30 October 2026 on hellofresh.co.uk and gousto.co.uk.

You can see the live offers on the HelloFresh website and the Gousto website.