Noodle pots are big business, with numerous companies (including some nicer ones – it’s not just Pot Noodles) now offering pots containing dried noodles and seasoning: you simply pour over boiling water and leave to stand for a quick and easy meal. Office lunch deliveries are also becoming more popular – not just in terms of catering for meetings, but in terms of the number of companies offering deliveries to individuals, which can be ordered on the same day as they’re delivered.
Now, Tom Loosmore has decided to combine the two in a brand new Bristol-based company. Meet SHREDFRESH: a new food business that offers delivery of wholesome noodle broths to your home or office, ready to prepare when you’re ready to eat.
Tom believes that “the best tasting meals are freshly prepared right before you eat them” – and that’s why he prepares his noodle broths on the day, delivering by 1pm ready to be warmed up.
I know I mentioned Pot Noodles earlier, but there’s only a very vague connection, trust me (well, it’s noodles in a pot). Order from a choice of five options (chicken laksa, Vietnamese pho, veg laksa, ramen or tom yum) by 11am, and your order will be delivered by 1pm on the same day. All five options – the full ingredients of which you can see on the SHREDFRESH website – are based around either meat or vegetable broths, cooked low and slow for up to 12 hours to preserve the maximum possible nutrient content.
Every dish is gluten free, with some vegetarian options available, and all allergen information is clearly listed on the website. It’s easy to place an order – simply choose the option you want and pay, and it’ll be confirmed by email before being delivered by bicycle before 1pm.
I chose the tom yum (priced at £6.50, as are all of the options – delivery is free), received email confirmation shortly after ordering, and did indeed have my order delivered by Tom himself on bike before 1pm. I was told how to prepare my lunch, which was handed to me in three parts: a huge cardboard tub (100% compostable, which is commendable), a pair of chopsticks and a small pack of green peas, fava beans, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds all roasted in five spice as a little extra snack.
On the top of the tub were instructions for preparation, which were nice and straightforward to understand.
The big pot was actually two pots in one: the bottom one with fresh rice noodles sitting on top of the chicken and reduced broth, the top one with a vibrantly coloured selection of fresh vegetables and herbs: tomatoes, peppers, courgette, baby greens, coriander, mint, basil and a lime wedge.
All you need to prepare the SHREDFRESH meals is a microwave and a kettle. After microwaving the noodles and chicken broth then stirring well, I placed the chopsticks in the pot and filled up to the marked line on them with boiling water, before pouring in the rest of the ingredients and stirring.
It really was a beautifully fragrant tom yum. While I’d have liked a little more heat from the red chilli, it’s all down to personal taste – it was great to have the classic Thai flavours all coming through strongly. The preparation method led to perfectly cooked rice noodles, while the chicken was generous and tender too. The inclusion of fresh, uncooked vegetables and herbs was great – they added a lovely crunch to an otherwise very softly textured meal, and a bright, fresh flavour that tasted great. The packet of snacks was amazing too – I’d happily have eaten them all day.
My only niggle would be logistical…when pouring in the vegetables, I’d have maybe liked a little more space in which to stir all of the ingredients together, as it got a little tricky without losing any over the sides.
It’s a great healthy option for lunches, and something a bit different to the standard soup or salad options. It’s a great idea for office workers – especially those who don’t necessarily have the time to go out and get something for lunch – and saves the hassle of having to prepare food at home.
I’m looking forward to trying other SHREDFRESH options – I’ve got my eye on the chicken laksa next. If you’d like to try them for yourselves, Tom’s kindly given me a discount code for Bristol Bites readers – simply type freshbites into the code box on the website when ordering, and you’ll pay £5 instead of £6.50 for your order. Enjoy!
Please note: our meal was received free of charge, but this in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the company did not see this review before it was put up on the site.