Meal kit customers are voicing frustration after two well-regarded brands began delivering incomplete boxes accompanied by sparse communication. Weeks after fulfilment problems emerged at Marley Spoon following its former food supplier’s bankruptcy filing, subscribers have started to share negative experiences with the Martha Stewart-backed brand.
Sylvia Turcotte, a Marley Spoon customer for more than six years, said she and her husband had long enjoyed the brand’s offerings, at times describing certain recipes as “restaurant quality” and serving them to dinner guests. That changed in July, when her regular deliveries arrived with melted ice, warm protein and questionable produce. In August, a box meant to contain 27 ingredients arrived missing 21.
“Needless to say, I did not cook Marley [Spoon] that week,” Turcotte said. “What I do not understand is why the powers that be have not suspended the meal plan until they get their logistics straightened out. Instead, they are ruining their brand.”
Other customers reported similar disappointments, including boxes arriving without protein and receiving no reply from customer service when querying damaged or incomplete deliveries.
A Rocky Supplier Transition
In April, Marley Spoon’s previous food supplier, FreshRealm, which also supplied Blue Apron, filed for bankruptcy. Misfits Market was later confirmed to be taking over fulfilment for both brands. The changeover has proved difficult, with a Misfits Market spokesperson, Ken Shuman, stating that the company had “compressed what’s typically a 10- [to] 12-month transition into under 10 weeks,” adding that “an operational transition at that speed has real challenges, and the biggest one has been inventory.”
Marley Spoon has offered customers credit toward their next order when a problem occurs. “Customers who experience missing items or other issues with their order are encouraged to contact Marley Spoon’s Customer Care team directly through the Help Center,” a spokesperson said. “While credits may be automatically issued in some cases, the team will review the individual circumstances and determine the appropriate resolution, including a refund.”
Customer Service Under Scrutiny
Attempts to request a refund rather than credit for missing ingredients went unanswered on two occasions. The Marley Spoon customer service telephone number directs callers to the website or app rather than to a representative.
The brand has addressed the fulfilment issues in a statement, which read in part: “We take this very seriously and are working around the clock to ensure our customers receive their boxes on time, with the correct, high-quality ingredients they expect from Marley Spoon.”
Martha Stewart remains affiliated with the brand, with a selection of her recipes featured every week, her team confirmed. They added that the delivery and fulfilment operations sit outside her involvement.
