Making a meal of it: discursively constructing the agency of the meal kit consumer

Meal kits delivered to the home have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Several companies now offer these through monthly subscription with a vast range of ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes based on chef-inspired meals that customers can cook themselves. This paper examines the marketing of meal kits from three UK companies in terms of how they discursively construct the agency of the consumer. Three main interpretative repertoires are analysed: (i) the consumer as a creative and committed cook, (ii) the ethical consumer committed to sustainability; and (iii) the consumer as an efficient time-saver. The rhetorical construction of each of these repertoires is considered in turn and the paper concludes by considering how they coalesce together as a persuasive marketing strategy.