Blue Apron Family Style meals are a new, mix-and-match meal solution designed for households of three to six members who need a simpler solution for weeknight nourishment. These shareable, flexible meal solutions offer an alternative to grocery shopping or takeout and promise all the satisfaction of a scratch-made meal minus the planning, preparation and cleanup.
Family Style represents Blue Apron's continued evolution beyond traditional meal kits and into a broader, more flexible mealtime solution, and its customizable sauces and seasonings help to solve real eating challenges by adapting to different preferences and the needs of picky eaters. Mains include options like Sweet & Tangy Chicken with Hot Honey & Parsley or Everything Bagel Salmon with Caper Sour Cream & Chives, which pair well with sides like Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Peppers with Balsamic Maple Glaze.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Mix-and-match Meal Platforms
- Enables platforms that assemble interchangeable mains and sides to accommodate varying household sizes and preferences, presenting opportunities for modular food offerings and inventory optimization.
- Family-size Meal Solutions
- Creates demand for ready-to-serve, shareable meals tailored to three-to-six person households that reduce cooking complexity while preserving a scratch-made experience.
- Customizable Flavor Modularity
- Supports modular sauce and seasoning systems that adapt single base meals to multiple palates, opening possibilities for personalization at scale and reduced waste.
Where This Applies
- Meal Kit Delivery
- Faces opportunity to expand beyond single-portion kits into flexible family-format boxes and subscription models that prioritize batch cooking and simplified cleanup.
- Food Retail and Grocery
- Sees potential for private-label, heat-and-serve family meals and modular condiment stations that capture shoppers seeking convenience without sacrificing variety.
- Hospitality and Catering
- Can leverage shareable, customizable menu components for small-event catering and in-room family dining solutions that streamline service while offering perceived chef-made quality.
