A huge range of Kiwi companies now deliver their wares to your door, on repeat. Are there any limits to subscription services? Cityscape finds out.

It’s waiting for you on your doorstep in the morning: a selection of local craft beers. Next comes your week’s worth of fresh vegan meals. A regular delivery of treats for your dog. 48 rolls of organic, tree-free toilet paper. A fresh toothbrush – great, yours was nearly done.

The rise in subscription services has opened up new ways to automate our lives. Subscribe once, and these essentials are delivered on schedule. Say goodbye to the mishmash of errands taking up your Saturday and the hassle of keeping the pantry stocked through your busy week. Subscriptions also allow you to consciously choose ethical, local producers, rather than being funnelled into whatever’s available at your local supermarket.

THE ESSENTIALS

Anyone learn about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs at school? It went like this: before humans can get on to creative solutions and big picture projects, we need our basic needs sorted. That means food, water, rest and somewhere to poo. Back in 1943, Maslow probably didn’t envision getting those needs delivered on the regular without having to lift a finger. Browse these great services, get your order in, then get to work on world peace.

Christchurch Chef Tom Riley creates delicious plant-based meals from locally-sourced ingredients. His business Green Dinner Table delivers recipes and ingredients right to your home, so you can easily join the plant-based revolution. Taking things back a step, you can get a fresh box of raw seasonal organic veggies on your doorstep every week thanks to ethical Canterbury farm Streamside Organics, the perfect basis for healthy home feasts. Nadia Lim’s My Food Bag has been a hit in New Zealand – you’ll get a bag of delicious local ingredients and great recipes to cook to. Riverside Market Box comes from your favourite Christchurch market with meats, pantry staples, fresh seasonal produce, eggs and cheese, as well as a specially-picked treat from one of Riverside’s fantastic vendors.

For ultimate convenience, try Fitfood’s chef-prepared ready-to-eat meals. They come fresh, not frozen, so you still get that lovely crisp texture in your vegetables and salad. Fitfood caters for a huge range of diets, with gluten free, keto and weight management menus, and even a delicious healthy Indian food subscription.

Maslow didn’t include caffeine anywhere on his needs pyramid, so we can only assume it was meant to go right there with fresh air and water. Crafted Coffee will make sure you don’t wither into a coffee-deprived shell of a person, delivering you a new batch of premium beans monthly (coffee lover), fortnightly (coffee needer) or weekly (coffee fiend) – choose from the standard blend or the ultra-dark full-bodied Le Chat Noir blend. 

Meanwhile, at the other end, Smart Ass is as pure as essentials get. Sign up to a Smart Ass subscription and you’ll never be caught without toilet paper again. It’s made from sugarcane and bamboo, with no plastic wrapping, and there’s even a games range – every roll comes in a playful interactive wrapper to keep you entertained. When your dentist tells you to get a new toothbrush every few months, they’re not lying. Toothcrush delivers you a premium bamboo brush every two or three months, so you’re prompted to make the change as often as you should.

Pet.co.nz’s AutoShip subscription service means you’ll never have to rush to the supermarket when the cat food bucket is empty, and there’s a discount for any pet food ordered by subscription. Plus the delivery box can be up-cycled into a swanky cat castle. Win.

THE ARTISANS

These fantastic Kiwi products can really put a smile on your face. Whether you’re into trying new beauty products or edible treats like chocolate, honey and beer, there’s a subscription box that will allow you to explore something exciting from our wonderful artisan producers.

Stripped Jerky offers a ‘Jerky Mix’ subscription of different flavoured Canterbury jerky in boxes of 20, 36, 50 or 100. The Avo Tree loads up this season’s high-quality, freshly-picked New Zealand avocados and delivers them directly to your door. Barrys Bay Cheese from Akaroa will deliver a quarterly package of hand-selected cheeses to your home or office. Local specialist store The Beer Library has several subscription options, including hoppy packs, malty packs, Belgian packs, and a mix of everything.

Gold Fern Honey in Spreydon offers regular deliveries of honey and other bee products, and gives a 5% discount on any subscription orders. Mel from Little&Luxe takes your preferences and curates the best of the best: four to six products centred on homewares, beauty, personal, edible and practical items, just for you. Explore Kiwi sweeties with Kapiti Chocolate Factory, in which the chocolatiers handpick six or nine different types of chocolate-based treat for you to enjoy.

THE THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED

Some subscriptions services have gone past essentials, past the luxuries you know you love, into the realm of things that are incredibly wonderful, but so ingenious you’d never have thought of them yourself. These are the services that can streamline you into being the person you’ve always wanted to be – a gifted gardener living in an indoor jungle, or a talented baker who knows all Granny’s recipes by heart.

Each month Plant Baby sends you a fresh pot plant to add to your collection, along with tips and care instructions and some extra treats for yourself. Cool Plants delivers a different beautiful easy-care or low-light plant and modern planter to your door once a month for three months. Every month, SeedBox sends you four ready-to-plant seed packets to grow seasonal herbs and vegetables. Rediscover classic Kiwi baking with Home Baked, sending biscuits and slices with a monthly theme. You can even choose gluten free and vegan boxes.

With all this to choose from, you can tailor an automated subscription experience that frees up your time to do the things you really love, like exploring our beautiful city and trying your hand at making some recipes by top Christchurch chefs, which as far as we know you can’t yet subscribe to.