Food delivery services UK 2021: the best places to order food online right now

Looking for groceries, meal boxes, or takeaways online? These are the best places to order from…

Best food delivery services in the UK: order food online
(Image credit: Getty)

Looking for online food delivery services in the UK? We can't blame you, with lockdown 3.0 here and the government telling us to only venture outside if it's completely necessary, now has never been a better time to have food delivered directly to your door.

It's worth noting, though, that supermarket delivery services and meal box companies are experiencing quite high demand at the moment, although not as high as earlier in the year, so, at the moment, you should be able to get a delivery slot quite soon. You may need to switch from your regular supermarket brand (follow the links below to find an option that works best for you).

Note: if you're looking specifically for protective items, you might struggle to find them at the supermarkets. We have separate guides for where to buy hand sanitizer and face masks.  

The best online grocery shopping services

It’s hard to know which is the best grocery delivery service at the best of times: the prices change, delivery costs vary, and quality of service can often come down to how the delivery driver is feeling on the day… but when there's a global pandemic and associated complications that provides, it’s even harder to know where to start.

That's why we're not currently recommending a 'best' service, instead, we'd suggest you follow all of the links below and choose the service which suits you best.

We've learnt it's best to book your grocery delivery slot first, before you spend time filling up your basket, so you don’t miss your chance to secure a slot. You may have to wait up to two weeks for a slot, but some companies (such as Iceland) are prioritising customers are elderly, vulnerable or self-isolating.

By the time you delivery slot comes around, items you've previously ordered may be unavailable, so allow for substitutions where possible. 

If you're self-isolating, you can use the delivery notes to tell the driver to leave the food at your front door, to minimise contact.

The best meal box delivery service

An alternative to your supermarket grocery shop is meal boxes. These services give you a choice of meals (usually between three and five per week), and will provide the exact ingredients to cook said meals.

This type of food subscription service has increased dramatically in recent years with the likes of HelloFresh and Gousto becoming household names.

The benefits to these services are clear, they save time and the delivery is very convenient. You're also putting less strain on the supermarkets.

However, just like supermarkets, these meal subscription services are also starting to feel the pressure, and you may need to wait a few days or week for your first delivery.

The best online takeaways

Are you celebrating a special occasion, or maybe you don't fancy cooking? Thankfully there are a number of takeaway food services still open. 

These are super convenient, and a number of outlets (such as Dominoes and Uber Eats are offering no-contact delivery). 

While we don't recommend getting these every day during lockdown 2.0 (if you did, you'd need to be rolled out of your house by the end of it), they're a great option for a treat in these dark times.

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Spencer Hart
Style and Travel Editor

As the Style and Travel Editor at T3, Spencer covers everything from clothes to cars and watches to hotels. Everything that's cool, stylish, and interesting, basically. He's been a part of T3 for over seven years, and in that time covered every industry event known to man, from CES and MWC to the Geneva Motorshow and Baselworld. When he's driving up and down the country in search of the greatest driving roads, he can be found messing around on an electric scooter, playing with luxury watches, or testing the latest fragrances.