SORTEDfood's Guide to the Best DIY Food Kits For Every Occasion

We’ve done loads of DIY Food Kit reviews now, and they’re becoming more and more accessible and wide-ranging as more restaurants get in on the act. This is great news for us, because we really do love ‘em! You can enjoy incredible restaurant-quality food, all while doing something fun and trying something new from your own home. Not to mention that they’re a great way to support independent businesses during lockdown.

But not all restaurant kits were created equal. It really depends what you’re looking for - from super simple dinners to family feasts, there’s lots of variety out there! We’ve put together this quick guide to the best DIY Food Kits for every occasion to get you going.

Super Simple + Quick

Japan Centre DIY Shoryu Kit (£20)

Starting off with the simplest of the simple with Japan Centre’s DIY Shoryu Kit. It gives you everything you need for 2 portions of ramen - just combine your ingredients and add water! The result? The most incredible rich ramen broth without any of the work. Simple.

Dishoom Bacon Naan Roll (£16)

Dishoom are famed for their take on the familiar bacon sarnie - smoked bacon and naan instead of your regular roll, plus chilli jam and cream cheese. And now you can recreate it from home with a simple DIY kit which is somehow actually cheaper than their restaurant! And it comes with the ingredients to make their house chai too. Breakfast is served.

Pizza Pilgrims DIY Frying Pan Pizza Kit (£15)

The legendary London pizzeria is doing pizza in the post, and we are so here for it. They send you everything you need to make 2 Margherita pizzas - the only thing you don’t get is the pizza oven. But no fear, you’ll cook your entire pizza in a frying pan! Clever huh? Just roll out your dough, add the toppings and pop it in the pan. It’s easier, cheaper and quicker than a takeaway, and it might just taste better too...

Sushidog Salmon to Love and Spicy Tuna DIY Kit (£35)

Ever tried a giant sushi roll? With this kit from Sushidog you get sashimi-grade, ethically sourced fish, a rolling mat and instructions for creating your own burrito-style sushi rolls. It's a great entry point to making your own sushi, plus you can practice your rolling with the extra sushi rice and nori in the kit! There's enough for 4 people, and you'll get a fun experience out of it too.

Beranjak Kabab Kit (£40)

The drunken snack just got a whole lot better with this awesome kabab kit for 2. It contains 2 lamb kababs, 2 chicken thigh kababs, tomatoes for grilling, an onion salad and huge pieces of clay-baked lavash bread. It's all pre-marinated, you can do it with just 1 baking tray and you end up with a feast of really high quality meat. Simple and a great sense of accomplishment too - we love it!

Family Feasts

Chick 'n' Sours All In Kit (£75)

Their website says it feeds '2 very hungry people to a family of four', and we easily fed 3 hungry men with this kit. You get 2 epic chicken burgers, as well as plenty of wings, chicken tenders, loads of delicious sides and cocktails too. We loved this one for the succulent chicken and huge variety of flavours you just couldn't recreate yourself. A great kit for an evening, though it does involve some deep-fat frying... you have been warned!

Island Poke Poke Kit Box (£32)

If midweek dinner’s getting a bit boring, why not try a family poke session? The Island Poke kit gives you all the fresh, sustainable, ethically sourced ingredients for 4 poke bowls - 2 with their classic ahi tuna and 2 with yuzu lomi lomi salmon. All the fun of trying something new without too much risk of it going wrong... Win-win!

Patty&Bun Meat Burger Kit (£25)

An ideal kit for a family, the Patty&Bun Burger Kit includes everything you need to make 4 burgers - the only thing that’s missing is the salad! It's fun to try at home and you end up with 4 burgers that are far beyond anything you'd be able to do by yourself. Get the kids invovled if you dare!

Hoppers Ultimate Hoppers Meal Kit (£75)

Buckle up, because this is a big one. Sri Lankan restaurant Hoppers brings you the real restaurant experience with a selection of their favourite dishes, all in one handy and very large box. There’s everything from roti to mutton rolls to their classic string hoppers. You even get a whole chicken! We loved this one - amazing value, amazing taste and amazing variety, but it will take you a long time.

Around the Cluck Buttermilk Chicken Burger (£32)

Fried chicken fan? Take all the time and effort out of making it with this kit from chef James Cochran! It includes jerk chicken thighs, blue cheese mousse, scotch bonnet jam and the brioche buns to create truly epic burgers for all the family. Great sense of achievement, no hard work. Oh, and they’re delicious.

Vegan Delights

The Vurger Co Meal Kit for 2 (£20.50)

The Vurger Co Meal Kit delivers you everything to create their bestselling NY Melt from the comfort of your own home. It's all vegan, including the cheese, burger sauce and fries - even the packaging is made from plants! The Beyond Burger patties really hit the spot for us meat eaters, and they also offer gluten-free buns which is cool! We did find it best to read the instructions through beforehand so you can prep during cooking. Our community also suggested steaming the cheese in a pan with a lid and a splash of water to get an oozy “veese” melt! It's a great access point for making delicious vegan burgers at home without having to buy all the different bits.

Best for Special Occasions

Corazón Carne Asada Taco Kit (£35)

Nothing says fiesta like tacos, and these Mexican-Californian fusion tacos are no exception. The Corazon kit includes Chipotle marinated beef hanger steak, corn tortillas, salsa ranchera, citrus mojo, pickled onions and their signature “drunken” black beans. Why not put ‘em together as a family? It’s fresh, it’s vibrant and it’ll feed 4 people for less than the cost of eating out. The perfect kit for a celebration!

Pleesecakes Fully Loaded Build Your Own At Home Cheesecake (£32)

Lockdown birthday? Make it that little bit more special with a BYO Cheesecake. This one’s great if you don’t fancy yourself as much of a baker - the cheesecake comes fully prepared, so all that’s left is the fun part of decorating it! Go for the Fully Loaded cake for a showstopping dessert to remember.

Passyunk Avenue Steak + Wings Love Bundle (£29.99)

If you’re celebrating as a 2, this could be the meal kit to go for! You get 2 Philly cheesesteaks and a huge pile of buffalo chicken wings, and all the ingredients come from the butcher they use in their restaurant - so you know it’s good quality! The result? A delicious (and huge) meal for 2 that would be very difficult to recreate by yourself.

Hawksmoor Prime Rib Box (£135)

Ready for a showstopper? The Hawksmoor Prime Rib Box does not disappoint. This huge kit comes with ribs, chips, sticky toffee pudding, plenty of alcohol and an incredible 35 day dry-aged prime rib steak, and the videos on their site will guide you through every step of the way. It's an expensive one, yes, but for the fantastic quality of the meat we reckon it's worth it - for a very special occasion of course!

Best for Weekends

Where the Pancakes Are Big Brunch Box (£45)

The best way to start the weekend? Pancakes, surely. This kit contains everything you need to make 20 perfectly fluffy pancakes for all the family, plus the blueberries, bananas and bacon to go on top! They’re super simple and easy to put together, and we’d never made pancakes this fluffy at home before.

Shuk Chocolate Hazelnut + Cookie Crumb Babka Kit (£20)

Here’s a weekend treat for you! Shuk opened at Borough Market just before Covid hit, and now they’re sending out these dreamy chocolate hazelnut and cookie crumb babkas for you to make at home. It’s simple, it’s a bit different and it’s perfect for adults and kids alike to get involved in.

Bakester Box Dark Chocolate Tart £28

This delicate, decadent tart is a great one for upping your game at the weekend. The kit was created by Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Tamsin Robinson as a way to share her baking expertise with the rest of us. It's not the easiest kit to follow, but you do end up with an incredible restaurant-level chocolate tart at home.

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