Subscribers to Martha & Marley Spoon will receive pre-portioned ingredients at their front doors in hopes that cooking at home will feel like less of a pain (and more like an experience worthy of the domestic goddess). This model, Stewart says, is “absolutely in keeping with my whole cooking philosophy.” The 18,000 recipes she’s produced will be the foundation upon which the rest of the company is based, and she added, “This way, [customers will] get a chance to really eat our food and not have to go shopping and buy all the ingredients and make all our recipes from scratch.”
Currently, Marley Spoon is available in 37 states, and is known for the simplicity of its recipes (in terms of instructions, not necessarily taste), and its high-quality ingredients (don’t be surprised to see products from Murray’s Cheese and Pat LaFrieda meats).
Stewart certainly seems to be choosing a hot time to be joining the meal kit space, with industry giant Blue Apron allegedly eyeing an initial public offering within the next year. According to Bloomberg, the company could be valued at around $3 billion, so if Martha’s latest venture pans out well, she could really be adding to her empire.
And she’s certainly not alone in her decision to join the movement — Chef’d claims the likes of Food Network stars Alex Guarnaschelli and Scott Conant, and Mark Bittman (formerly of the New York Times food section) briefly helped run the vegan delivery company Purple Carrot.
So if you want Martha Stewart to make you dinner, this won’t quite do the trick, but if you close your eyes (not while you’re cooking) and use your imagination, you may just be able to fool yourself.
