Don’t Use Chef’s Plate

So this isn’t the typical post for this website, but after my experience using this service, I felt I needed to review the meal delivery service, Chef’s Plate and warn people.

This past year, I started using the delivery service, Chef’s Plate. The premise is they deliver a box of pre-proportioned ingredients and recipes for you to make meals. The plan I chose was three kits of two meal servings. It sounded good, especially with claims like “Chefs Plate works directly with local and national farmers and suppliers”, and “this ensures you’re getting the freshest ingredients”. And while the first claim may be true, the latter falls far short.

The ingredients I was sent were supermarket standard and in several instances far less than fresh or appealing. I received underripe vegetables, overripe vegetables, and several times found mouldy produce or ingredients with rotten spots. Not exactly their boast of “fresh”.
In addition, they claim “while not a diet or calorie-restrictive service, cooking with fresh ingredients helps you stay healthy”. Except, most of their recipes call for oil or include high salt, high fat additives such as mayonnaise, or things like sour cream. Not overly “healthy”.

Now comes the final straw that broke my use of the service. Their packaging. I was willing to put up with the haphazard way the kits were stuffed into the boxes (although, honestly, a six-year could probably package better than Chef’s Plate) but when they switched from using the ice packs to gel cooling packs I had enough. It states clearly on their site they ship in a “box with an insulated liner and ice packs”. Not “gel packs”. And yes, Chef’s Plate, despite your assertion to the contrary, they are NOT the same thing. Gel packs are hard to dispose of and environmentally unfriendly, plus they can pose a plumbing hazard and shouldn’t be drained down the sink like the melted water from the ice packs.

After the first time, I sent an inquiry. They told me they used ice packs, and the gel packs shouldn’t have been used. Fine I thought, end of the problem. But the gel packs kept coming. I lodged a complaint. That’s when they changed their tune. They were still in the process of switching from gel to ice. Except, they had been using ice with me, and they actually switched back to gel packs. But again, I received assurances. The gel packs kept coming. Then I stated the use of gel packs was a deal-breaker and I wouldn’t use their service anymore if gel packs were used in my boxes. Instead of trying to compromise or accommodate their customer, they deactivated my service. No warning, no asking, no letting me choose when to leave, just we’ve cancelled you.

And, if this is how you treat customers with concerns, good riddance.