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10 best meat delivery boxes for your next BBQ, tried and tested
Fire up the grills, these are the best meat boxes for effortless entertaining this summer
Tested by Joanna AnastasiouFood and Drinks Tester
Planning the BBQ of the summer for family and friends but don’t fancy trailing the aisles of your local supermarket and having to lug it all home? Our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have rounded up the best meat delivery boxes for effortless entertaining.
Packed with high quality meat, featuring a range of different cuts and options from wagyu steaks to burgers, these are the best boxes for every occasion.
If you need some extras to go with your meat, you’re in luck. As part of our big BBQ Taste Test, we’ve munched through over 200 products – from kebabs and chicken wings to hot sauce and ice cream – to make planning and buying for your get-together a cinch.
Best meat boxes 2025
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Read on for more BBQ taste tests: Best burgers | Best sausages | Best kebabs | Best ribs | Best chicken | Best steak | Best meat-free burgers | Best meat-free sausages | Best hot sauce | Best ice cream
Are meat boxes worth it?
A meat box can be a great cost-saving way of purchasing high quality meats to fill the freezer. Whether looking for a regular subscription for midweek family meals or a one-off box ahead of a big BBQ, we’ve tried the best bundles from online butchers and supermarkets, so you can buy in confidence.
And there’s no need to wait in for your box either, with produce securely insulated so it stays cool all day.
Before deciding which box is best for you, these are the key phrases to look out for.
Grass-fed
Thought to contain higher levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals compared to grain-fed animals, grass-fed meat also helps to support biodiversity.
Free-range
This refers to animals that are left to roam freely for at least part of the day.
Organic
Although many brands practise sustainable farming methods, few are certified 100% organic. This method of farming protects natural resources, such as fresh water and healthy soil, encourages wildlife and avoids pollution from artificial chemicals.
High-welfare
You’d hope all animals are raised with their welfare in mind, but sadly that’s not always the case. Brands selling high-welfare meat will ensure that animals are given the best quality of life, and slaughtered humanely when the time comes.
Native and rare breeds
Some farmers have shifted away from large-scale commercial livestock to old-fashioned breeds such as Red Ruby and Aberdeen Angus. The impact of this is hugely beneficial to biodiversity as traditional livestock graze on a more varied diet, paving the way for slower growing native wildflowers and grasses to flourish. You’ll often find these breeds are more intensely flavoured, too.
How we test meat boxes
Our Good Housekeeping Institute tasting panel sampled 13 bundles, from supermarket selections through to specialist online butchers. They were looking for boxes that contained a good amount of meat for a BBQ, with all items packed full of flavour and consistently high quality.
We've also added some editor's picks below to give you more choice and price points – they haven't been tested in the lab but come highly recommended by our food & drink editor.
Score: 91/100
This box may feel like an investment, but it contains a high-end selection of Scottish Aberdeen Angus beef — from premium steaks to mid-week mince — and would be a similar price if bought individually from the supermarket.
Testers thought this would be a great option for a BBQ (the rump steak pieces would be perfect for kebabs), and said it helped them with meal-planning. Highlights include the thick, tender fillet steaks, and based on this experience, testers said they’d be keen to buy other boxes from the company.
Score: 89/100
This is an incredibly large meat box (some of our testers were overwhelmed by how much meat there was!), helping you save money on catering a BBQ party.
Testers enjoyed the well-seasoned burgers, meatballs and chicken breast, which were all succulent and tasty, while the ribs had a pleasing texture and delicious BBQ sauce. The piri piri chicken was another highlight with a light flavour and texture – perfect for popping in a bun with barbecued veg and your favourite sauces.
Score: 86/100
If organic produce is a non-negotiable, this inexpensive meat box from Abel & Cole is the one for you. Each week, you’ll receive three new cuts to keep mealtimes interesting, all of which was described as “excellent quality”.
Ideal for couples, or a family of three, you can expect the likes of diced chicken breast, beef strips and pork escalope (the latter of which would be excellent on the BBQ). Choose from a one-off delivery or sign up for a regular drop — it’s also completely plastic-free!
Score: 84/100
Presented in a beautiful wicker basket, this hamper is filled with pre-cooked and ready-to-eat items ideal for your picnic hamper or special gift.
Testers loved the more unusual items, such as the chorizo jam and pâté, but it was the pork pie that stood out. Elsewhere, confit duck legs made for a special occasion dinner, as did the large porchetta, perfectly prepped with mixed herbs. In short, it feels like all the best bits of a successful farm shop haul, delivered to your door.
We think it would be best suited to family gatherings and long bank holiday weekends, to be grazed on over a few days.
Score: 80/100
A neatly packed box insulated with icepacks and recycled wool, testers felt this deserved top marks for quality.
Our experts were also big fans of the flavour-packed sausages peppered with caramelised onions, the tender, juicy chicken, and the versatile pork mince, which they felt absorbed their chosen seasonings well.
Score: 73/100
Packing a large variety of options, testers were particularly impressed by the mince in this box, which had a good meat to fat ratio, as well as the pork and sage sausages, and pork medallions.
The chicken drumsticks received slightly mixed reviews, but overall, testers felt it was a great choice for a BBQ party.
Editor's picks
Start the day like royalty, with Fortnum & Mason's premium breakfast box. The selection includes bacon, sausage and eggs, as well as salted butter, a loaf of seeded sourdough, and Fortnum's sauces for the ultimate butty.
With four chunky beef burgers, a whole chicken, beef mince, chicken breasts, sausages, bacon and eggs, this family-friendly box is delivered straight to your door.
As with all Daylesford produce, the meat is top quality, so a very worthwhile investment.
Turn any occasion into a celebration, with this premium steak selection from Michelin star chef Tommy Banks' team.
It includes an epic piece of Côte De Boeuf to share, restaurant-quality peppercorn sauce, two cans of Banks Brothers red wine to pair it all with, and a temperature probe to ensure you’ve cooked it to perfection.
Including Iberico pork patties, juicy veal burgers, marbled wagyu, spicy lamb and chilli burgers and traditional dry-aged beef burgers, this selection is sure to impress.
Joanna Anastasiou is our Food and Drinks Tester, and has completed certifications in Sensory Foundation and WSET Wine Level 2 training. Prior to this she studied geography with conservation biology at the University of Exeter and trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland. Through this she has developed a passion for sustainability within the food and agricultural sectors. Joanna also volunteers in kitchens with FoodCycle, as well as on multiple wildlife conservation projects, where she formed a particular love for bees!
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