Thousands of weekly reviews drive continuous meal improvement.

No matter how often we ask ‘what’s for dinner?’, it never feels easier to answer. With family, work and to-do lists piling up, mealtimes can easily become less about enjoyment and more about efficiency.

Taste, nutrition, time, waste and cost all factor into every meal. Research from the 2023/24 New Zealand Health Survey shows Kiwis are increasingly health-conscious, favouring fresh, nutritious meals that don’t sacrifice flavour or precious time.

Unfortunately, there is no magical device that serves up the perfect dinner at the click of a button. That’s why we all want smart solutions that make dinner easier – without extra supermarket trips.

Enter HelloFresh. The meal-kit company analyses thousands of customer ratings and reviews every week, using them as the basis for constant improvements. From refining flavours to tweaking recipes, HelloFresh responds to what Kiwis want on their plates. Through continuous feedback, customers are actively shaping the HelloFresh menu, making mealtimes quicker, easier and tastier.

Jenny Cao, Senior Ingredient Specialist at HelloFresh NZ, says the evolution is grounded in data but guided by taste.

“Every week we dynamically make changes to each recipe,” Cao says. She adds that recent customer feedback has led to, for example, the introduction of new premium proteins and seasonal ingredients to give more variety and flexibility at dinnertime.

Cao says these kinds of updates happen regularly, ensuring the menu continues to evolve in line with what Kiwis are asking for.

Recipe developers meet each week to review the latest feedback. While small adjustments can be made almost immediately, bigger, more complex product changes are addressed through a monthly review. Insights also flow in from customer care channels.

HelloFresh customers consistently highlight convenience as one of their favourite features. Through customisation and elements like pre-prepped ingredients, HelloFresh wants to help Kiwis get the most out of their midweek dinners, giving Kiwi families more time together to do what they love.

“We have started introducing pre-chopped vegetables, to make the recipe more convenient,” Cao explains. “The pre-marinated chicken has also gone so well; people love it, so we’re going to try to increase the usage of that in our menu.”

HelloFresh keeps a finger on the pulse of market trends, says Cao, meaning it’s always monitoring what’s popular with Kiwi palates. Keeping the menu fresh and interesting is a priority, ensuring customers never get bored with what’s on offer.

“We’re here not just to make customers’ lives easier, but to try and keep meals exciting. We try to offer options you wouldn’t normally get at a supermarket, or cuisines people wouldn’t normally cook for themselves,” Cao explains.

“We’re doing a lot of Asian fusion now it’s getting warmer, so we’re going into lighter, summer-style dishes. We’re also featuring cuisines with bolder flavour, like Korean, Middle Eastern, Mexican. We’re trying to spice things up a bit.”

And when it comes to flavour, feedback is crucial. Based on the reviews, Cao says Kiwis typically favour creamier, sweeter curries over punchier options. Developers work to keep dishes feeling fresh while reflecting what New Zealanders actually enjoy eating. That’s also led to the Kiwi Spice Blend – a mix designed to bring gentle warmth and depth to meals without overpowering the ingredients themselves.

“If there’s a chilli, we’ll always have it in the notes that you should put in as much or as little as you want. Like, I can’t handle spice that much,” Cao laughs. “But if people think it’s not spicy enough, they can add more.”

Kiwis also love a good protein. While plant-based options have increased in popularity, meat and veg remains a classic Kiwi staple. HelloFresh is now offering duck breast in its meal kits, as well as slow-cooked pork belly.

“We’re trying to make that even better – you know, who doesn’t love pork crackling?”

Each tweak keeps the menu evolving, ensuring there’s always something new to discover before the next round of feedback rolls in. Also based on feedback, HelloFresh has increasingly catered to customisation, allowing customers to substitute core components with confidence, knowing each option has been tested to ensure it still works perfectly with the recipe.

All in all, HelloFresh isn’t a static recipe box; it’s a constantly evolving food experience, co-designed by customers.

For more information, head to hellofresh.co.nz.