What Hello Chef does

Hello Chef is a UAE-based direct-to-consumer meal kit subscription service founded in 2015 and headquartered in Dubai. The company delivers fresh, pre-portioned ingredients paired with printed step-by-step recipe cards to customer doorsteps on a weekly basis, offering 39 recipes across 25+ international cuisines with dietary filtering for vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, pescatarian, and calorie-smart preferences. Customers select a box for 2–4 people and 3–5 recipes per week, with Express Recipes offering 20-minute meal preparation through pre-prepped ingredients. The product portfolio has expanded beyond core meal kits to include add-ons such as desserts, breakfasts, kids' lunchboxes, sides, fresh meats, BBQ boxes, and snack boxes.

The business operates on a flexible weekly subscription model priced from AED 35 per serving, with auto-renewal and a customer-friendly skip-week, pause, or cancel-anytime policy. Hello Chef sources ingredients from premium suppliers including locally raised cage-free chicken, ethically farmed beef and lamb from Australia and New Zealand, organic eggs, and locally sourced vegetables where possible. The technology stack consists of an e-commerce website, native iOS and Android applications, subscription management tooling, and a last-mile delivery logistics operation supporting 5 weekly delivery days across the UAE.

Hello Chef has served over 6 million meals since inception, employs 101–250 people, and became the first UAE-based food company to achieve B Corp certification in June 2023. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors or funding rounds, and operates exclusively in the UAE single market. Distribution is fully owned (DTC) with no third-party retail or marketplace presence, and customer acquisition relies on organic social, content marketing, email, and a commission-based affiliate program. Co-founder & CEO Ahmed Akber leads the business.

Name

Hello Chef

Legal name

Hello Chef

Website

https://hellochef.me

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hello Chef is a Dubai-based, direct-to-consumer meal kit subscription service operating in the UAE. It delivers weekly pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards for 39 recipes across 25+ cuisines to households, with flexible subscriptions starting at AED 35 per serving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meal Kit Delivery

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Premium Gourmet & Chef-Curated Meal Kits/Prepared Meals (CRAHAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Meal Kits & Recipe Box Subscriptions (AFAIANAA)

Keywords

• Meal kit delivery
• Weekly recipe kits
• Pre-portioned ingredients
• Food subscription service
• Home cooking kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Meal Kit Subscription: Recurring weekly subscription for fresh, pre-portioned meal kit ingredients with optional add-ons. Customers select box size (2-4 people) and number of recipes (3-5 per week). Flexible subscription with ability to skip weeks or cancel anytime. Auto-renewal with cutoff at 12 noon, 4 days before delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hello Chef is a United Arab Emirates-based subscription meal kit delivery service that ships fresh, pre-portioned ingredients together with step-by-step recipe cards to subscribers' homes. Subscribers choose from a rotating weekly menu of approximately 39 recipes spanning 25+ cuisines, with a 20-minute express recipe line and add-on categories (breakfasts, desserts, sides, fresh meats, snack boxes) available alongside the core weekly kits.

Product overview

Hello Chef operates as a meal kit subscription service offering a unified product portfolio centered on its core meal kit delivery service. The main offering provides fresh, pre-portioned ingredients paired with recipe cards for home cooking. Customers can select from 39 weekly recipes across 25+ cuisines, with options for 2-4 people and 3-5 recipes per week. The product ecosystem includes Express Recipes (20-minute meals with pre-prepped ingredients) and Add-ons (desserts, breakfasts, sides, fresh meats, BBQ boxes, and snack boxes) that extend the core meal planning experience. The service is available across the UAE as a flexible subscription with skip/cancel-anytime functionality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hello Chef Weekly Meal Kits Core subscription offering delivering fresh, pre-portioned ingredients with step-by-step recipe cards for home cooking, with approximately 39 weekly recipes across more than 25 cuisines.
• Express Recipes Quick-cook meal kits within the weekly menu designed to be prepared in approximately 20 minutes, targeted at time-constrained households.
• Recipe Add-ons (Breakfasts, Desserts, Sides) Optional add-on items (breakfasts, desserts, sides) that customers can include with their weekly meal kit orders to extend the menu and round out the meal experience.
• Snack Boxes Curated snack boxes available as an optional add-on to the weekly subscription order.
• Fresh Meats & Proteins Standalone fresh meat and protein add-ons that can be purchased alongside subscription kits to supplement meals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 million+ meals served to customers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ImdaadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal waste management provider partnered with Hello Chef to enhance recycling efforts. Customers rinse plastic sachets and containers and place them back in the Hello Chef box for delivery drivers to collect. Imdaad collects plastic and cardboard weekly for recycling at their facility.
• Dubai Municipality Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdible food waste from Hello Chef operations is donated weekly to the Dubai Municipality Food Bank, which provides food for people in need. Hello Chef has donated over AED 75,000 worth of food to date.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marley Spoon: Global DTC meal-kit operator present in multiple geographies, including partnerships with retail incumbents. Comparable subscription meal-kit model with weekly menus and pre-portioned ingredients.
• Blue Apron: US-founded meal-kit subscription pioneer delivering weekly pre-portioned ingredients and recipes. Comparable business model and customer experience, offering a benchmark for category economics and churn dynamics.
• Gousto: UK-headquartered meal-kit subscription service delivering pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards weekly. Directly comparable in product, packaging, subscription UX, and weekly menu refresh cycle.
• HelloFresh: Global meal-kit subscription leader operating a weekly recipe/ingredient model shipped directly to consumers. Highly comparable in core subscription mechanics, menu variety, and value proposition, with Hello Chef being a regional UAE-focused counterpart.
• Sun Basket: US-based meal-kit and prepared-meal subscription service with a strong focus on dietary options such as calorie-smart, vegetarian, and pescatarian. Comparable in flexible subscription UX and dietary-preference segmentation.

Regional players

• Right Bite: UAE-based healthy meal-plan provider delivering calorie-controlled and diet-specific meals direct to consumers. Comparable UAE market, health-conscious positioning, and DTC subscription model, though with prepared meals instead of kits.
• The Chefz: Middle East food platform operating across Saudi Arabia and the broader region, offering chef-prepared meals, catering, and food-related subscription experiences. Comparable regional focus on premium food delivery and a similar target customer base.
• KCal: UAE and Kuwait-based healthy prepared-meal delivery service focused on calorie-controlled and diet-specific meals. Comparable regional target market and health-conscious customer segmentation, though delivered ready-to-eat rather than as kits.

Broad incumbents

• Home Chef: US meal-kit operator now owned by Kroger, offering weekly recipe/ingredient boxes through both DTC and grocery distribution. Comparable core meal-kit product but uniquely positioned via its parent retailer's scale and omnichannel reach.
• Green Chef: US organic and dietary-focused meal-kit service operating as a HelloFresh subsidiary. Comparable meal-kit subscription mechanics with a strong emphasis on dietary segmentation (organic, keto, vegetarian) similar to Hello Chef's filters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hello-chef

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hello Chef