BBQ meat packs: 11 of the best barbecue delivery boxes to try this summer

Every year we think we’re going to be ready, and every year the great British weather gives us a false start in spring and has us scrambling for our long-forgotten barbecues that have been graciously tossed aside over winter. While we can’t help with the scrubbing, lighting and cooking which will have to ensue if you want to dine al fresco at the first hint of sunshine, we can help with that to put on the grill.

There are so many incredible producers and restaurants across the country who will send you BBQ meat packs at the drop of a hat. These clever kits include everything you need to make an impressive centrepiece at your summer feast. While some BBQ boxes dish up pure and unadulterated meat for you to manage yourself, others present you with carefully marinated cuts that you can pop straight on the grill. If you’re expecting a mixed party there are places - like Abel & Cole - which will cater for both fish and meat options too, so that both pescatarians and carnivores should be happy (veggies and vegans we’ll have to leave up to you!).

Of course we’re biased, but we think restaurants put together some of the best spreads when it comes to easy at-home dining. They just know what they’re doing to make last-minute meals seem impressive and easy. So if you’re looking to get BBQ meat packs delivered this summer let us gently guide you in the direction of some of our favourite restaurant kits below. We’ve also included some tried and tested meat box favourites from high welfare farms, butchers and suppliers which provide you with the very best cuts to cook over your coals (or your gas as the case might be). From organic BBQ meat boxes through to pre-marinated restaurant feasts, we've got something for everyone in our round up of the best barbecue delivery boxes in the UK.

Home by Simon Rogan Ultimate BBQ Box

What: If you want to up your barbecue game, who better to go to than the best chef in the business? Rogan started his delivery box service during lockdown, but they've been so popular that the whole thing has continued and expanded into a fully-fledged operation in itself. The idea is to make a slice of L'Enclume available to you at home, and Home by Simon Rogan boxes uses the same outstanding produce as you'd find at the restaurant, including fruit, veg and herbs from Rogan's farm. The box includes aged sirloin steak, beef burgers, braised short rib and more, all brined and marinated before they get vac-packed and delivered to your door along with full instructions for barbecuing and reheating. The results are stupendous, especially when you throw in all the sides, dressings and sauces you get into the bargain. Given the quantity and quality of food you get, this box is a great deal for 4-6 people.
Serves: 4-6
How much: Ultimate BBQ Box £200, but lots of cheaper alternatives too
Buy now: Home by Simon Rogan BBQ Box

Dishoom Summer BBQ Box

What: For those who prefer their grills spiced to the max, Dishoom returns with its sizzling Summer Barbecue Box for another year, filled with a tasty selection of meat, ready-marinated in a range of signature spice blends. Discover Murgh Malai, chicken thighs in a rich sauce of garlic, ginger, coriander and cream, sweet and spicy Chicken Tikka-style thighs, and spicy lamb chops tossed in a generous blend of warm dark spices, ginger, garlic and lime juice. We were bowled over at just how packed with flavour each marinated joint was - it would be hard to recreate the same level of flavour at home so you really feel like you're trying something special. The box also includes a set of metal skewers for grilling, plus a lime and Kabab Masala spice mix so you can make your own Kachumber salad (cucumber, onion and tomato). 
Serves: 4
How much: £55
Buy now: Dishoom Summer Barbecue Box

Made in Oldstead Burger Box

What: Made in Oldstead is a premium food delivery service from highly-esteemed Tommy Banks, the owner and chef of two Michelin-starred restaurants in Yorkshire (The Black Swan and Roots). All the food boxes are made using high-quality ingredients from Oldstead Farm and its restaurant garden, and the Burger Box is one of their all time most popular boxes, packed with quality 8oz burgers, as well as pulled pork-loaded duck fat chips and chicken wings glazed with honey and black garlic sauce. The box even comes with Banks' legendary ice cream sandwiches, with taspberry parfait sandwiched between two brown butter cookies. The standard box is for two but if you want to order multiple, no-one is stopping you.
Serves: 2
How much: £55
Buy now: Made in Oldstead Burger Box

The Ethical Butcher Steak Box

What: The team at The Ethical Butcher are on a mission to change the way we consume meat. With a passion for regenerative agriculture, where farmers work hard to increase biodiversity through their techniques, The Ethical Butcher works with suppliers who are actively trying to combat climate change through holistic management farming. The result is meat prepared by master butchers for deeply flavoured cuts. Their BBQ range includes everything from high-quality burgers and hotdogs through to beef ribeye steaks and marinated legs of lamb. Meat is often organic, always high-welfare and the packaging is environmentally friendly too. We've tried a handful of different things from Ethical Butcher over the years and always been impressed at the quality (especially for the price), and the items made in-house like sausages and beef burgers are excellent too - the burgers in particular are made with an excellent meat to fat ratio. 
Serves: 2
How much: £95 
Buy now: The Ethical Butcher steak box

Rick Stein Fishmongers Selection

What: Fish and seafood is beautiful on the barbecue, and not as hard to cook as you might think. If you’re ordering fish, you can’t go wrong with the big man Rick Stein and his various fish boxes. Stein's online fishmonger is extremely reliable, sourcing the same quality Cornish fish and seafood that goes into his restaurants and shipping it off to you in record time, ready for your big barbecue day. You have a few good options when it comes to fish boxes, but we think the Fishmonger's Selection is the best value - it includes monkfish tails, butterflied mackerel (brilliant on a barbecue) and a kilo of huge tiger prawns. 
Serves: 4
How much: £56
Buy now: Rick Stein Fishmongers Selection

Durslade Farm BBQ Box

What: Durslade Farm in Somerset supplies all the Art Farm restaurants around the country, including the stonkingly good Mount St Restaurant in London. There aren’t many better places to be sourcing your meat, and if you’re not in range of a Farm Shop you can order one of their many BBQ boxes online, which come packed with a variety of meats and excellent condiments. We’d plump for the BBQ Box which has sausages, marinated spatchcocked chicken and award-winning Wagyu X beef burgers inside.
Serves: 2
How much: £40
Buy now: Durslade Farm BBQ Feast Box

HG Walter Classic BBQ Box

What: Another favoured butcher among UK restaurants, HG Walter counts the likes of Tom Booton, Phil Howard and Crispin’s Lewis De Haas as fans. Ultra-dependable and excellent value for the quality, HG Walter offers a huge range of meat boxes and is often a good place to find more unusual cuts. The Classic BBQ Box includes all your favourites - chicken drumsticks, sausages, lamb skewers and burgers, as well as a pair of flat iron steaks and some baby back ribs. Not bad at all!
Serves: 4
How much: £55.25
Buy now: HG Walter Classic BBQ Box

Swaledale BBQ Meat Box

What: If you’re hunting for high quality, high welfare meat, Swaledale should always be high on your list. Top restaurants all over the country swear by Swaledale for their meat supplies, and you can buy from the butcher directly. Swaledale only sells native breed livestock, which is free to roam on sustainable farms in the Dales; the butcher also promises that its meat is never frozen, so it arrives to you freshly butchered and vacuum packed. The BBQ Meat Box is the perfect way to sample a whole range of excellent products, including Korean-style BBQ short ribs, and African-style kofta kebabs.
Serves: 6-8
How much: £93.85
Buy now: Swaledale BBQ Meat Box

Aktar at Home Tandoori Box

What: Not content with running one of the very best Indian restaurants in the country, Aktar Islam also has Aktar at Home - a food delivery service where you can order anything from curries to meat packs. It's a great way to taste his outstanding food if you can't make it to Birmingham (seriously though, Opheem is worth the trip - don't forget that you can host private dinners at Opheem too). Aktar at Home caters for all sorts of different dinner requirements - there are lots of curry boxes focusing on different meats, or vegan and vegetarian options, as well as a weekly special to keep things interesting for regular buyers. If you're planning a barbecue, the tandoori box is a brilliant shout - you get over 7kg of marinated meats, prepped and ready to hit the grill and in our experience it comfortably feeds six (it would feed more if you're doing lots of sides and salads).
Serves: 8
How much: £100
Buy now: Aktar at Home Tandoori Box

Provenance Village Butchers Classic BBQ Box

What: Provenance Butchers do a decent range of different boxes so please do have a browse if you're after something specific. We'd recommend the classic box, though - it's among the most popular boxes on the site and has a good selection of different things, from excellent sausages and burgers to lamb leg skewers, marinated chicken and a few different steaks. You can even choose your sausage (and there are lots to choose from). Provenance also specialises in rubs and marinades so consider chucking a few of those in with your order.
Serves: 6-8
How much: £123
Buy now: Provenance Village Butchers Classic BBQ Box

The Ginger Pig Butcher’s BBQ Box

What: This generous offering from quality butchers The Ginger Pig includes enough meat for 6-8 people, giving you the perfect excuse to share a feast with family and friends. With steaks, pork chops and sausages all included, this is one for the purists. The star of the show here though is the burgers, which are hand-pressed and made from chuck steak and aged rib cap for a wonderfully rich flavour – all you need to do is come up with the perfect toppings. We'll take cheese, pickles and mayo, thanks. 
Serves: 6-8
How much: £110
Buy now: The Ginger Pig Butcher’s BBQ Box

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