I'm not really sure about the long term viability myself! I don't see how they can make this cash flow positive long term.
I spent decades as a hard-core research/plan/shop/cook foodie. Buying cow shares and pigs and goats from small farms before pastured meat parts were available at the farmers markets or independent groceries, learning to butcher and dress chickens, making our own sausages and other tasty meat parts, making my own seitan starting from wheat kernels, buying dozens of heirloom beans, dried corn, etc. Spending two weeks camping at Sandor Katz's farm in TN learning all kinds of fermentation techniques. Backyard garden (still have yard orchard, tho). Making our own injera after frequenting the local Ethiopian grocery and chatting with the owners. I'm a Kansas City certified BBQ judge and have judged barista competitions (and own an aging Hottop coffee roaster, which I still use every couple years). Had Modernist Cuisine on pre-order and make a few things from it time to time. Love gadgets, too! Used to have a built-in steam oven, but now have the CSO. Had grain grinder, stone wet mill, electric pasta roller, chamber vacuum, etc. Own a few sous vide setups (including older Sous Vide Magic with its bubbler). You couldn't have gotten me to use mealkits 15 years ago, for sure!
Still would enjoy that part of the foodie lifestyle (it IS fun!), but now lack the time and have too many other things I want to do too.
We've really been enjoying the mealkits (2 years, 300+ meals, no kidding), especially the ones that use unusual ingredients or combos. But I don't think there are enough people like me to make this business model work long term. But we'll see ....
