We are committed to following ethical practices wherever possible at You Be Chef.

So, we are delighted to guide you through our packaging and give you some tips on how best to recycle each item.

We are delighted to say that our very cool box, and its contents, are 95% compostable. This means that even if it it ends up in landfill, it will fully compost with absolutely no detrimental effect to our planet.

The box!

Our box is tough on purpose 🙂 We have designed it so that it has multiple full size flaps both top and bottom for strength as well as for insulation.

We suggest you flatten the box by carefully opening up each end fully before adding to your recycling bin together with any kraft packaging paper.

As they are so strong you could also upcycle the box and reuse it for storage or even to send your own parcels – just ensure you remove the delivery label first!

A note on glue… often forgotten but we’re not hiding anything from you! We use a hot glue to seal our boxes because it uses less not-so-nice products than taping the box.

We’d love to use eco tape but it simply is not tough enough and the last thing we’d want is your box coming open on its journey to you.

Nearly all cardboard boxes are glued in some form and this does not stop them being recycled.

Rest assured we are working on sourcing an eco hot glue and as soon as it’s been invented we will have it!

The liner

We’ve tested them all and this is by far the best! Our WoolCool liner ensures your You Be Chef meal stays perfectly chilled even on our two day delivery service – it’s that good!

Woolcool insulation is made using 100% pure sheep’s wool. The Wool is sustainable, compostable, and due to Wool’s superior insulative properties, more effective than other solutions at keeping contents consistently colder for longer. This biodegradability means that at the end of the liner’s life, the Wool component can be returned to the soil, where it decomposes, releasing valuable nutrients into the ground. Regardless of where the liner ends up, even if ultimately this is in landfill, within 6-12 months, the Wool will have broken down, never to be seen again. Not only is the Wool reducing food waste by keeping food chilled in transit, but it is also significantly reducing our packaging waste to landfill.

Just in the last year alone, Woolcool prevented the equivalent of 75 Olympic sized swimming pools full of polystyrene from going to landfill.

There are a number of ways you can recycle/reuse the wool liners including:-

– picnic hampers

– hanging baskets

– pet baskets

– cushion stuffing

– Homework projects

– Pipe lagging

– Draught excluders

– Protection for plants/trees from frost

– Feeding roses and keeping slugs off plants

– Keeping takeaways warm

– Keeping drinks/food cold on the beach

– Craft projects

– Van/Car boot lining

– Pads for gardening

If you aren’t looking to re-use the Woolcool Liners, simply remove the plastic liner, this can be put in with the standard plastic recycling, then just put the wool liner into either a compost bin (if available) or dig into the soil in the garden, as the wool will release valuable nitrates back into the soil as it breaks down. Some local authorities will accept the wool in household garden waste bins, it is just a matter of checking with the local council to find out what recycling facilities are available in your area. Even if the wool goes into the general waste, it will break down in landfill.

White sugarcane containers

Our tree-free containers are made from rapidly renewable sugarcane pulp, a by-product of the

sugar refining industry. These containers are certified home compostable!

Simply add to your home or collected food waste recycling where they will decompose without any harm to the environment.

If you don’t have a compost bin or food waste collections, fear not! Just add to the general waste bin where the containers will quickly decompose again with no harm to the environment.

PP Plastic Containers

We are in the process of completely phasing out all packaging that is not fully compostable. If your box does contain PP containers they can of course be washed and reused or added to your recycling bin.

Foil Trays

We are in the process of phasing out all foil containers as they have to be completely clean to be recycled. We want to make cleaning up easier hence our move to sugarcane containers. If you have any foil containers in your box please rinse out thoroughly and add to your recycling bin.

PET clear lids

Our smallest sugarcane container comes with a PET clear lid made from sugarcane.

PET clear lids are both carbon neutral and completely recyclable. They are not suitable for the microwave or oven.

Simply rinse off any food before adding to your recycling bin.

Clear food pouches

Our Eco Pouches are made from biodegradable packaging that breaks down, under specific composting conditions, back into water, carbon dioxide (CO2) and biomass.

Made from a range of natural products, including paper, eucalyptus fibre, cassava and corn starch, our pouches keep your food items perfectectly protected whilst being kind to our planet.

Should Eco Pouches find their way into the seas or rivers, they offer a more eco-friendly solution to petrochemical based packaging.

Eco Pouch has shown encouraging results when exposed to marine environments; typically reducing to granular levels within 24 weeks of immersion and exposure to microbes, water and oxygen. Eco Pouch will return back into water, carbon dioxide (CO2) and biomass without eco-toxicity.

Simply add to your home or collected food waste recycling where they will decompose without any harm to the environment.

If you don’t have a compost bin or food waste collections, fear not! Just add to the general waste bin where the containers will quickly decompose again with no harm to the environment.

Home Composting – takes less than 26 weeks at ambient temperature (<30ºC). Industrial Composting – takes less than 12 weeks at 60ºC. Cardboard boxes and perforated layers

Sometimes we use cardboard boxes and layers to keep smaller items as well as our presentation dishes all safe and sound. Simply add these to your cardboard recycling together with the main box.

Kraft brown food boxes  and round containers

Our carefully selected Kraft containers are made from sustainably sourced, renewable plant-based materials and are lined with a compostable grease-resistant lining. Because these boxes are mixed materials for food safety, they are only 100% compostable in a commercial environment.

Simply add to the collected food waste recycling box or rinse out and add to your cardboard recycling container.

Glass presentation dishes and bottles

All our glass dishes and bottles together with their aluminium lids are entirely recyclable and can be placed in your glass and aluminium recycling.

We use these items sparingly when the dishes require setting or cooking within the dish itself, the reason being we feel it’s not as nice eating from Kraft or similar.

The dishes also make for great storage of ingredients in the home kitchen or indeed if you’re creating at home!

Branded Greaseproof paper

We wrap lots of items in our beautiful branded white greaseproof paper. We even give you a large sheet as you open the box so that you can line your baking trays and dishes meaning less washing up! This stuff is so clever, just add it to your food waste or general waste knowing that it’ll completely compost.

Green Piping Bags

We use these clever little bags when the presentation calls for that perfectly piped gel or purée. Just add these to your food waste recycling where they will completely decompose without harming the environment.

If you don’t have a compost bin or food waste collections, fear not! Just add to the general waste bin where the containers will quickly decompose again with no harm to the environment.

Ice

We use ice packs that are filled with water as opposed to a gel.

We found that gel is bad for your drains and the only way to really get rid of it is to incinerate the packs. That of course is bad news for our planet hence our decision to swap to water ice packs.
The plastic surrounding the ice can be added to your plastic recycling bin, just allow it to defrost, carefully pierce or cut open with a pair of scissors, pour the water down your sink, or better still, water your garden!

Labels

Rather than making you work out what each item is inside your box, we label each item giving you easy to follow directions to the best storage and how each item is grouped.

This of course means there’s lots of labels but rest assured that the labels are compostable just like our sugarcane and cardboard packaging.

No need to remove from the lids before you dispose of your packaging items but remember the labels can’t go in the oven!

Menus and notes from us

Our menus together with any other printed items are fully recyclable and should be added to your card & paper recycling.

Orders must be placed by 12 noon on a Sunday for delivery the following Friday or Saturday. Any orders placed after 12 noon are not guaranteed for delivery that week unless you have arranged this with us separately by email.

You can of course order in advance if you want to be all organised well ahead of time!

We source lots of ingredients locally here on the Isle of Wight and some of our suppliers include the UK’s tastiest tomatoes from The Tomato Stall, as well as many more. We also forage seasonally here on the Island, with ingredients including an array of sea herbs from the stunning coastline and wild garlic and mushrooms from the Island’s woodlands. And if it’s not available on our doorstep, we source high-quality produce from further afield.

Our ethos at You Be Chef is getting more people into the kitchen preparing fantastic meals but without all the stress and fuss of starting from scratch, or put simply – making dining at home lots of fun!

Your box will arrive complete with cooking instructions and all ingredients prepared and packed. You will need to finish off the cooking of certain dishes together with the plating up of each course.

Each week there is a video taking you through the components of each dish together with how to finish off and plate the individual dishes. The videos are posted on our social media platforms as well as our website every Friday by midday.

All You Be Chef meals can be finished off in a domestic kitchen which has the following equipment together with some store cupboard essentials:-

● We prefer rapeseed oil because its got such a great colour! A good olive oil will also do the trick.

● Maldon or similar flaky style salt

● Tin foil

● Baking tray and baking dish

● Oven – we use a fan oven but non fan will just require a slightly longer cooking time

● A grill is sometimes required, i.e. for a creme brulee. A blowtorch will,of course, work as well. Don’t worry, the menu will highlight if any extra equipment is needed.

● Hob – gas, electric or induction are all suitable

● Selection of saucepans and basic kitchen utensils

Storing your You Be Chef meals is made simpler with our colour coded and numbered labelling system.

Simply group together the items for each dish using the numbers and colours, check you have each element and then store either in the fridge, freezer or on the counter until needed.

We use DPD to send our delivery boxes. You will receive a delivery notification advising that your box is due for delivery. Then on the morning of your delivery, you will receive a 1-hour time slot letting you know what time to expect your You Be Chef box.

When ordering you must detail both your email address and mobile phone number in order to receive delivery notifications.

We offer free standard delivery on both Friday and Saturday. At checkout, you are also able to choose pre-12 pm delivery for an extra charge.

Two-day delivery to Scottish Highlands and Islands is not classed as standard delivery and is subject to a delivery charge.

You can also collect your You Be Chef meal box from us at Thompson’s Restaurant, 11 Town Lane, Newport, Isle of Wight. PO30 1JU

Collections are available between 9:30 am – 4:00 pm Friday and Saturday – if you are collecting please advise us of this in the additional information section when ordering together with an approximate time you will arrive. All boxes will be sealed and packed with ice packs.

We offer next day delivery arriving on either a Friday or Saturday.

For Scottish Highlands, offshore destinations and the following postcodes, please contact us for delivery information prior to placing your order. Orders placed through our online ordering platform going to any of the destinations below are not guaranteed and may incur an administration charge if we need to refund you. Please email us at info@youbechef.com

AB25, AB31, AB33-38, AB41-56, FK17-21, HS1-9, IV1-99, KW0-14, PH15-41, PH45-99, TR21-25

DPD will send you a one hour time slot on the day of delivery and you can choose from an array of options directly with them. This includes diverting your parcel to a neighbour or delivering it to a safe place until you’re home.

We recommended that you prepare and consume your You Be Chef meal by Saturday evening at the latest. If you have ordered our Sunday Roast menu, this is should be consumed by Sunday night.

All the ingredients in our boxes are packaged and well sealed. We package the meals in a double walled cardboard box, the boxes are insulated with sustainable wool fleece liners and the contents are kept cool with food safe and leak proof ice packs. Boxes are packed the same day they are dispatched and then arrive via DPD by close of business the following day.

Our boxes have been tested to their limits and will even stay completely chilled over a two day delivery journey – super tough!

Our kitchen uses multiple ingredients each week including all allergens and therefore we cannot 100% guarantee that there are no traces of certain allergens in the meals.

The menus always feature vegetarian options and we always do our utmost to cater for further dietary requirements. If you have any questions about dietary requirements please get in touch.

Our boxes are non-returnable.

We do not issue refunds unless you advise us by email with at least 7 full days notice prior to your delivery day that you wish to cancel your order.

Once your delivery is with our 3rd party courier we are not liable for any delivery issues. We will do our utmost to find your delivery if it has not arrived with you and will advise accordingly.

At You Be Chef we encourage even young diners to try the different dishes on offer each week. We currently do not offer a separate menu of smaller portions.

Our courier DPD has a very low rate of missing or damaged parcels but sometimes things can go wrong, Please get in touch if you haven’t received your box and we will get straight onto finding out what’s happened.

Once your order is with our 3rd party courier we will not be liable for any delivery issues.