FAQs

When will my order arrive?  

We aim to send the first box out within 3 working days of your order unless you order it to arrive for a specific date. It will be sent either first class post within the UK or by airmail for overseas orders meaning that orders within the UK should arrive 1-2working days later and overseas anything from 3-6 working days later. Of course these are estimates given by the post office and not guaranteed but we’ve found them pretty reliable.

If you want to give the gift for a specific date (eg. Christmas or birthdays) please be sure to enter that date at the bottom of the order form. We'll then label the package ‘not to be opened until ….(a particular date)’ so the recipient isn’t tempted to take a peek before the right day! For anything else, please just add a request in the ‘add a message’ field or just send us an email

How will the recipient know the gift is from me?

The first delivery automatically comes with a little congratulatory card saying who the gift was sent from and telling them how many months they should expect deliveries for. If you want to add an extra personal message just let us know by filling in the message field at the bottom of the order form or send an email.

When does the next delivery arrive?

Assuming you want us to send the first delivery out straight away, the next delivery will be at the end of that same calendar month (or the next month if you chose alternate monthly deliveries), unless you ordered after the 15^th of the month in which case the next delivery will be made at the end of the subsequent month and so on.

What happens if the recipient isn’t home for the delivery?

No problem, each delivery box is designed to fit through any standard letterbox so unless they’ve boarded up their letterbox the delivery should be waiting for them when they get home.

The person I want to give the gift to lives alone, will the spices be too much for them to get through?

Each recipe is designed to produce 4 servings and it’s best to try and make it in one go than try and divide up the spices. The finished dish should last for several days and so even a single person with the smallest appetite should be able to finish the meal without getting bored of eating the same thing every day for weeks!

Will they be able to renew their deliveries?

That’s not a problem of course! We’d be delighted to see them come back like many of last years recipients to extend their deliveries.

My recipient doesn’t like anything too hot, will they be able to eat all the recipes?

The beauty of using good spices in your cooking is that it’s very rarely just about adding heat. In fact they’re used to add depth, fragrance and complexity rather than trying to blow your head off which is never the effect we aim to achieve! We try and make the recipes as authentic as possible but you can leave chillies whole rather than chopped, or reduce the quantity to satisfy the various tastes in your family if that’s what you’d prefer.

If they like the spices, can they buy the ingredients separately to make the recipes again?

Absolutely! We’d be delighted if they chose to make the recipes again and all the same ingredients and blends are for sale in various size packs on our other website www.thespicespecialist.com