The rise of takeaways
Takeaways are a popular form of dining, famous for their ease and comfort. You can enjoy all the extravagance of a restaurant from the solace of your own sofa. UK households spend an average of £5 per person on takeout food each week. That’s £20 a week for the average house of four!
As a result of the nation’s blossoming love of takeout, the market has seen a 73% increase over the past decade, worth £4.2 billion, with an expected 17% growth over the next two years. The Coronavirus pandemic, of course, has also assisted this market, with many people choosing to support local food outlets instead of cooking every day.
The best takeaway apps in 2021
Mobile apps have made ordering online even easier, and quicker – why wait in a queue again? Check out our recommendations for the best food delivery and takeaway apps in the UK.
Just Eat
Founded in 2001, Just Eat is the most popular delivery service in the UK (less so in the USA) and Europe.
|
Availability |
Delivery fee |
Minimum order |
|
23 countries worldwide |
Variable depending on restaurant and your location, but usually no more than £4.99 |
Variable depending on restaurant, but usually £10 |
What does it offer?
This Scandinavian delivery service has partnered with more than 30,000 establishments, so you have a wide range of options to choose from, with hundreds of different cuisines honouring multiple national foods like Chinese, Indian, Italian, Mexican, and more.
There are more specialised subcategories to choose from as well, like Pizza, Sushi, Fish & Chips, Kebab, Wraps, and so on. As well as mains, you can also search for Desserts to satiate that sweet craving!
How to order
To order something, simply enter your postcode to search for nearby restaurants that will deliver to your location. Just Eat will show you a list of available places, their delivery fee, minimum order cap, distance from you, when they open, and their average delivery time.
You can browse the online menus (with prices included!) and add whatever you fancy to your basket. Once you’re ready, complete your order as you would a normal online checkout.
Benefits
✔ Hundreds of cuisines to choose from to suit every taste
✔ Subcategories allow you to break results down into specific foods
✔ Includes a range of details in the restaurant’s description so you know exactly what they cook, how much money it’ll cost you, and more!
✔ You can also earn special offers like 10 – 25% off at selective restaurants online
Download the Just Eat app for Apple or Android.
Deliveroo
Founded in 2013, Deliveroo is another app growing in popularity across Europe.
|
Availability |
Delivery fee |
Minimum order |
|
13 countries worldwide |
Variable depending on restaurant and your location, but usually no more than £5 You can currently get free delivery by subscribing to a monthly service for £11.49 or within your first 14 days on orders over £15 |
Variable depending on restaurant, but usually £10 |
What does it offer?
The inspiration for Deliveroo was to provide a service for restaurants which didn’t usually deliver the opportunity to offer their food as takeout. At the moment, they have partnered with over 80,000 food outlets.
As well as food categories like Chinese, Asian, and Indian, you can also filter restaurants by specific subcategories, such as Pizza, Burgers, Chicken, and Sushi, for example. Additionally, if you’re not exactly sure what type of food you’re in the mood for, you can use filters like Healthy, Breakfast, and Dessert to narrow it down.
Deliveroo also works with a lot of popular fast food chains, like KFC, Subway, and Krispy Kreme, so you’re bound to find something you want.
How to order
Enter your postcode to check what’s available in your area, and start narrowing down your cuisine options using the filters listed above.
Restaurants that pop up feature ratings from other users on their speed and service, so you can ensure the establishment you’re ordering from is trustworthy.
Benefits
✔ Hundreds of cuisines to choose from to suit every taste
✔ Subcategories allow you to break results down into specific foods
✔ Includes ratings and reviews by others so you don’t risk wasting money on bad service or dining
✔ You can get free delivery for the first two weeks, or for longer with a subscription
✔You may find food outlets that are more unique than the traditional options
Download the Deliveroo app for Apple or Android.
Uber Eats
Founded in 2014, Uber Eats is not far behind the two leading services above.
|
Availability |
Delivery fee |
Minimum order |
|
45 countries worldwide |
Variable depending on restaurant and your location |
None |
What does it offer?
An extension of the popular taxi app, Uber, Uber Eats has launched itself into the highly competitive food delivery market with a focus on beloved food chains like McDonalds, Starbucks, Burger King, KFC, Krispy Kreme, and Pepe’s Piri Piri.
With over 50,000 food outlets to choose from, you should be able to find something to satisfy your hunger.
How to order
You need to sign in to, or create, an account before browsing restaurants and selecting items to order. Once you’re happy with your food choices, you can place your order by going to View Cart > Checkout > Place Order.
You can also order over the phone if you’re not comfortable using the internet.
Benefits
✔No minimum order price to reach
✔Choices from popular food outlets for that specific craving
✔Track the vehicle carrying your order on the map
✔Order over the phone if you aren’t confident online, have accessibility struggles, or visual impairments
Download the Uber Eats app for Apple or Android.
FoodHub
Founded in 2017, FoodHub aims to “disrupt the wider industry” by working on a ‘subscription model’ for partners, rather than commission.
|
Availability |
Delivery fee |
Minimum order |
|
UK, Ireland, USA, Australia, and New Zealand |
Variable depending on restaurant and your location |
Variable depending on the restaurant |
What does it offer?
FoodHub promote themselves as being cheaper than their rivals, as they don’t charge a hidden service fee like many other delivery providers. With 15,000 partners, they claim you can get the exact same meal from the exact same restaurant, but for cheaper than anywhere else - now that’s a tempting deal!
Due to the commission-free service, FoodHub primarily offers local takeaway options, so you can support places near you with your food order.
How to order
Enter your postcode, browse nearby food establishments, add foods to cart, checkout, and await your delivery.
Benefits
✔They run regular competitions and prize draws for discounts
✔Supports local businesses rather than big blockbusters in the food industry
✔Guarantees to save you money on each order
Download the FoodHub app for Apple or Android.
Gousto
Gousto is more of a meal delivery service than a takeaway app. It was founded in 2012 and is endorsed by fitness guru, Joe Wicks.
|
Availability |
Delivery fee |
Minimum order |
|
UK and Ireland |
Delivery is free due to the prices of the meal boxes |
Two meals for two people at £24.99 per box |
What does it offer?
Gousto focuses on offering customers healthy, conscientious foods made with fresh ingredients. After selecting your box, you can browse over 50 different recipes, choosing from subcategories like Calorie Controlled, Lean in 15, Healthy Choices, and 10-Minute Meals depending on your health goals.
You can also filter by meat (specifically pork, beef, and chicken), fish, vegetarian, plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free to account for preferences and allergies.
Additionally, the service offers multiple box options for the amount of recipes and people that you want to order for, from two recipes for a couple, to four recipes for a family.
How to order
- Choose which plan/box you want (amount of recipes each week and for how many people)
- Enter your postcode to see delivery dates and availability
- Choose from 50 recipes
- Order!
Benefits
✔Filter recipes according to diet, allergens, and health goals
✔Meals are £2.98 per serving
✔All products are fresh and healthy, with a focus on zero food waste
✔Pause or cancel weekly deliveries at any time
Download the Gousto app for Apple or Android.
Domino’s
One of the world’s most beloved pizza companies, Domino’s was founded in 1960 - just two years after rival company, Pizza Hut.
|
Availability |
Delivery fee |
Minimum order |
|
Worldwide - 90 international markets |
Can sometimes charge for orders under £20 or £30 depending on location Free delivery if you collect from store |
Variable depending on country, but average could be £9.99 to avoid prank calls |
What does it offer?
Domino’s in the UK have a large range of pizzas, sides, drinks, and deals on offer online.
For pizzas, you have the option to filter results by Vegetarian, Vegan Friendly, Gluten Free, and Hot & Spicy, and you can usually choose between three different sizes. You can also mix and match flavours, or create your own pizza with selective toppings.
There are also a host of sides available, like nuggets, garlic bread, wedges, chicken strippers, BBQ wings, and more. Desserts tend to include ice cream and cookies.
As well as the general food on offer, Domino’s have a constant set of deals available to benefit from online. For example, every Tuesday you can ‘buy one get one free’ through their “Two for Tuesday” deal. You can also get big family offers for less money than ordering separately, and even deals for one person ‘Home Alone’.
How to order
For delivery, all you need to do is enter your postcode to find the stores nearby, and then start choosing your meal, whether that be from the deals or a concoction of pizza, sides, dessert, and a drink.
Benefits
✔Create your own pizza rather than choosing pre-made options
✔Take advantage of the constant deals on offer to save money, and get more for less!
✔Get free delivery by collecting your meal from your nearest store
✔Not just pizza - you can get a whole meal, with sides, desserts, and drinks
Download the Domino’s app for Apple or Android.
Zomato
Founded in 2008, Zomato is one of the oldest delivery services on the list, alongside Just Eat. Tag-lined ‘Never have a bad meal’, they pride themselves on offering the best at each city.
|
Availability |
Delivery fee |
Minimum order |
|
Worldwide |
Staggered delivery cost depending on distance |
Varies by restaurant |
What does it offer?
With around 55,000 restaurants listed on Zomato, you’ve got plenty of choice. You can search by restaurant, cuisine or a certain dish if you know what you’re in the mood for. Otherwise, take advantage of the subcategories listed below to find the food for you.
When browsing the restaurants available, Zomato offers you an insight into the prices by informing you how expensive it would be for two. Each place is also categorised into a topic, such as Romantic Dining, Pocket-Friendly, Great Breakfasts, Veggie Friendly, Afternoon Tea, Quick Bites, and Legendary Outlets.
Furthermore, when you click on a restaurant, you’ll be able to see what ‘people say this place is known for’ to get a feel for the restaurant, such as ‘quality food’, ‘well priced’, and ‘nice staff’ amongst other comments.
How to order
Similarly to Just Eat and Uber Eats, simply enter your postcode so restaurants and dishes are filtered by your area, browse the menus, pick your food and go to the checkout to order.
Benefits
✔Insights like price breakdowns allow you to make conscientious decisions
✔Reviews from other customers include tag words that could help you make the best choice on which restaurant you’d like to order from
✔Search by moods and cuisines, like quick bites and Japanese food, to find exactly what you’re after
Download the Zomato app for Apple or Android.
Those are our seven recommendations for the best delivery and takeaway apps you could download onto your smartphone today. If you do like cooking, however, check out our list of the best cooking and recipe apps.
And if you’re on the hunt for a smartphone to download these onto, Asda mobile have a wide range to choose from online!
