The big news for summer? Dineamic has moved to FRESH.

Yep, you read that right, all orders placed from now on will be delivered to you fresh, not frozen.

You might not know this, but we’ve been producing fresh meals for our stores and supermarkets for quite some time, and we’ve also had 10 years of cooking great quality frozen meals that tick pretty much all the nutritional and tastebud boxes, but we’ve made the decision to bring the fresh love to our online store as well for a range of reasons, one of which is that our wonderful customers have asked us for it! For us, it’s a big move and we could not be more excited.

WHY ARE YOU MOVING TO FRESH?

As you know, we do love freezing meals, and still believe that there is something to be said for it, however, there are a few benefits that you’ll notice when eating our meals fresh, that can’t be ignored.

COLOUR & FRESHNESS

Freezing generally leads to a fading or lightness in the colour of veggies due to ice crystal formation. Going fresh, you’ll notice the same great taste with a little extra colour. To put it simply, veggies keep their delicate flavour and colour and our rice and pasta dishes retain their structure a little better overall.

EXCESS LIQUID

Sometimes excess water can be expelled from improper thawing/freezing at home. Frozen food retains some liquid in its structure even if you set it at -40^oC. So, with even a slight increase in temperature, say you take it from freezer to fridge then back to freezer because you decided not to defrost that meal after all, the amount of unfrozen water increases too (we call this micro-thawing). Once it hits the freezer again the slower freezing time can lead to larger ice crystals that can damage the texture and release the water. We’re not saying there will never be a little extra liquid with fresh meals, as water gets expelled naturally (it’s what happens when you refuse to add stabilizers!) but it is something that you’ll see a lot less of.

SEASONAL INGREDIENTS

Fresh is best nutritionally when produce is in season. We have a brilliant relationship with our veg suppliers that means we get to cook with the best Aussie produce on offer as it is in season.

It also means that we can offer different types of meals like fresh salads in summer (watch this space!).

Our aim is to bring you a menu that changes seasonally and makes the most of what is in offer to us. It’s going to be a great chance for our chefs to flex their creative muscles and bring you fresh new flavours throughout the year, not to mention offer the best nutrition we can!

WILL THE MEALS BE DIFFERENT?

We will still be making the same great meals with the same brilliant flavour however, you might notice that the colour and texture may be improved compared to our frozen range.

Ingredients will still be Aussie grass-fed beef, free range chicken and locally sourced fresh vegetables. Our sourcing is something that we won’t compromise on, and we always get the best available ingredients and source Aussie-first whenever possible.

In terms of the range, our most popular meals will always be on the menu, as they use fresh ingredients that are available to us all year around thanks to our amazing growers.

In addition to this we will start to rotate the other meals that we have on the menu to make the most of seasonal ingredients and the latest food trends and ingredients.

WILL YOU START USING PRESERVATIVES IN YOUR MEALS?

We still won’t add any preservatives or other additives! We preserve our meals using Modified Atmosphere packaging (MAP) to reduce oxygen and extend the life of our meals. This method also helps retain textural and colour properties in our food so it tastes just like a home cooked meal and not your standard retort meal. If you do see some preservatives listed in our ingredient panel this is because some of our raw ingredients (e.g. Cheese) contains them when they arrive at our door.

HOW LONG WILL THE MEALS LAST?

When you receive meals they will have at least 7 days before the use by date, so you have time to eat them or if you’re in a pinch, they can be frozen.

CAN I STILL FREEZE THE MEALS?

To put it simply, yes.

If you do choose to freeze the meals, we recommend you do so as soon as you get the delivery or as soon as possible before the use by, reheat from frozen for 6-7 minutes instead of defrosting it beforehand. It’s important to remember that if you do choose to freeze them, the texture of the meals will be slightly different compared to eating them fresh.

BUT I THOUGHT FROZEN WAS BETTER THAN FRESH?

We still rate freezing very highly in terms of its ability to lock in flavour, quality and nutritional value over a longer period, but from a short-term perspective meals will be pretty much on par whether they are fresh or frozen.

HOW LONG BEFORE I HAVE TO PLACE MEALS IN MY FRIDGE?

As with our previous deliveries, food must be placed into the correct storage temperature as soon as possible. If you’re not sure when your delivery will be arriving make sure you have your phone on stand by so you can track deliveries. Although we package the meals up in a specialised insulated container and gel packs, we advise not leaving the meals out for any longer than 2 hours under direct sunlight.

HOW LONG DO I HEAT THE MEALS FOR?

Your tray meals will be ready in just 2 minutes in a microwave and 8-10 minutes if reheated on the stovetop (pouches only).\

Still have questions? Let us know if the comments!