Hampshire &amp; Isle of Wight


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-Heidi-min.jpg" alt="Muddy Stilettos Hampshire and Isle of Wight editor Heidi making a You Be Chef at-home Dining Kit" class="wp-image-31033" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-Heidi-min.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-Heidi-min-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-Heidi-min-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-Heidi-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-Heidi-min-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<p>Want a convincing dinner party cheat or impressive date-night dinner? You Be Chef&#8217;s boxed and ready premium at-home dining kits could help you nail it. Launched in the pandemic by Isle of Wight-based chef Robert Thompson, the quick-fix cheffy meal service is run from his Newport restaurant, <a href="https://www.robertthompson.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thompson&#8217;s</a>. </p>



<p>Popular with fans of the restaurant and new customers on the mainland, the service ships out to homes around the UK and has even been tried and tasted by HRH The Duke of Wessex. As with the restaurant, the focus is on good quality seasonal ingredients with cheffy twists that elevate the food a few levels up from home-cooked fare. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE PREP</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-min.jpg" alt="You Be Chef At-home dining kit box UK delivery Robert Thompson chef Isle of Wight" class="wp-image-31031" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-min.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-min-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-min-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-min-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Always game for some foodie fun, I place my order for a vegetarian set menu. It arrives on a scheduled delivery date, couriered to my door. Opening it up, everything I&#8217;ll need to make my three-course meal is neatly packaged up in there, complete with labels instructing whether it should be stored in the fridge or freezer. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-content-min.jpg" alt="You Be Chef at-home delivery box chef Robert Thompson restaurant delivery service UK" class="wp-image-31032" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-content-min.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-content-min-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-content-min-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-content-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-box-content-min-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Inevitably, there&#8217;s quite a lot of packaging involved but, rather than the dreaded polystyrene and plastic freezer packs, You Be Chef boxes are padded out with compostable cooling wool insulation. I pass mine on to a friend to reuse to send a delicate package and manage to reuse or recycle most of the rest. Eco check!</p>



<p>Other than taking things in and out of the fridge when needed and having a quick read through the instructions, there&#8217;s not a lot more prep you need to do. But helpfully, chef Robert Thompson does have a quick video you can watch on line that takes you through it all with some extra prep and serving tips.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE MAIN EVENT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBe-Chef-starter-min.jpg" alt="Spring pea and broad bean chawanmushi You Be Chef at-home delivery meal boxes kits UK" class="wp-image-31030" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBe-Chef-starter-min.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBe-Chef-starter-min-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBe-Chef-starter-min-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBe-Chef-starter-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBe-Chef-starter-min-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>With everything labelled by course and ready to go this is pretty foolproof stuff. The majority of effort goes into assembling it so that it looks nice. </p>



<p>Starting things off, we have a spring pea and broad bean chawanmushi (no, I&#8217;d never heard of it either!), neatly set in a reusable glass ramekin. It turns out to be a savoury Japanese egg custard &#8211; which tastes a lot nicer than it sounds &#8211; topped with fresh peas, broad beans, tasty little herbs and a pea and garden mint salad. My favourite part of the dish though has to be side of crispy, minted pea cigarettes. Delicious.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-main-min.jpg" alt="Tarte Fine of Isle of Wight Tomatoes You Be Chef at-home delivery service" class="wp-image-31034" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-main-min.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-main-min-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-main-min-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-main-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-main-min-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>The tasty main course is equally foolproof. Each puff pastry Isle of Wight tomato tart is simply popped in the oven while you heat up the accompanying tomato in a fondue. When its all ready, the tarts get a few squeezes of rocket and lemon salsa and a really flavoursome whipped goats cheese, then the warm fondue goes on the plate with the tart on top. Simple as.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-pudding-min-1000x750.jpg" alt="Passion fruit, stem ginger white chocolate cheese cake passion fruit gel  at-home restaurant meal delivery kit" class="wp-image-31035" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-pudding-min-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-pudding-min-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-pudding-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-pudding-min-700x525.jpg 700w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/YouBeChef-pudding-min.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>On we come to the You Be Chef pudding and things start to go a little south presentation-wise. The passion fruit, stem ginger and white chocolate cheesecake simply plonks on the plate surrounded by lumps of frozen white chocolate Areo. Easy enough. </p>



<p>However, piping the passion fruit gel into neat little piles and making the spoonable passion fruit seeds look pretty proves significantly harder&#8230; That said, the rich cheesecake and tangy passionfruit absolutely sing with flavour, so all is forgiven when we come to tuck in.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<p>A true, boxed-and-ready-to-go three-course meal with cheffy extras, overall, I&#8217;d give You Be Chef a thumbs up. The vegetarian menu certainly didn&#8217;t lack in flavour, though I found the set menu format a bit limiting. As a pescatarian I would have enjoyed opting in for at least one seafood course.</p>



<p><strong>Good for: </strong>Date nights and sociable dinner party hosts that love the glory of serving up a good meal but not the actual cooking. </p>



<p><strong>Not for: </strong>Fussy eaters. The menu choices are set, although you can opt for added extras. Other than vegetarians, dietary requirements and preferences aren&#8217;t catered for, though with a monthly changing menu, if you don&#8217;t like what&#8217;s on offer you can always look again later. And if you&#8217;re a die-hard home cook, this won&#8217;t be for you.</p>



<p>For more info and to order, visit <a href="https://www.youbechef.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">youbechef.com</a>.</p>


Review: You Be Chef at-home dining kits

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