Recently, we’ve seen the ‘essentials box’ being offered by supermarkets for home delivery. These are intended to help vulnerable customers or those who are self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic.
What can I expect from an essentials box?
Some supermarkets are putting together a pre-selected collection of everyday household items. These may include goods like tinned food, and carbs such as rice, pasta and bread. You might also see some places include teabags (with accompanying biscuits, of course) and, yes, toilet paper!
Aldi and Home Bargains have focused on non-perishable goods, while Morrisons and M&S also offer food boxes full of fruit and vegetables, as well as meat and fish.
How much do they cost?
An essentials food box from Home Bargains is available for £23.99. This contains the likes of crusty bread rolls, chopped tomatoes, chicken curry sauce, loo rolls, and much more.
A ‘Food Parcel‘ from Aldi will set you back £24.99 for 22 items. These include handwash, long-life milk, baked beans, basmati rice, amongst other store-cupboard staples.
A box of food targeted at either vegetarians or meat-eaters costs £35 from Morrisons. For the same price, the supermarket also offers a selection of food to create meals for Ramadan.
Meanwhile, Marks and Spencer offers essentials boxes from £15 (mixed vegetables) to £45 (a whole load of meat). Boxes containing seasonal fruit can also be bought for £20. Meanwhile, M&S also offers a vegetarian food box similar to Morrisons’ version for £30.
Can I request changes?
Sorry, no. The boxes’ contents are dependent on what is available at the time of selection. Most reserve the right to offer another ‘equal value’ product if there are supply issues with what was originally listed.
Is delivery free?
Both Aldi and Home Bargains have included the cost of delivery in the price of the essentials box. Marks and Spencer is offering free delivery if you spend over £50. Morrisons is charging £5 for delivery.
