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FAQs
Christmas 2024
Our Christmas menu will be available to order from November 25th!
Make sure to get in quickly, as our dinners and delivery spots are limited.
To help you plan ahead, we’ve added a preview menu to our website. You can start thinking about what you’d like to order from the beginning of November!
DISHIN’ UP DELICIOUS
We know it looks and sounds delicious! Planning your festive menu is sure to get your mouth watering!
Unfortunately, we can’t take orders from our Christmas menu before November 25th— not too long now!
In the meantime, we hope you find some delicious options on our November menu to enjoy while you wait. It’ll be worth it!
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
GOOD FEELS, GOOD MEALS.
Absolutely! Just keep in mind that we can’t deliver items separately from the same order.
If you’d like your regular order and Christmas feast to arrive together, simply add everything to the same cart before you check out.
If you’d prefer your Christmas goodies to come in a different delivery, you’ll need to place a separate order!
Don’t forget to check our delivery info page for minimum orders and free delivery thresholds.
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
WHACK THE OVEN ON, WE’RE BRINGING DINNER.
Due to the high volume of orders over the festive period, your order will be packed and prepared for delivery more quickly than usual. It will then be stored in our freezers, packed and palletised with other orders scheduled for delivery on the same day.
You will receive an email notification once your order is packed. After that point, unfortunately, we won’t be able to accommodate any changes to the contents or the selected delivery date.
To ensure everything is correct, we recommend double-checking your order and delivery details before finalising your purchase. We appreciate your attention to detail when placing your order! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Just a quick reminder: when placing your order and selecting your preferred delivery date, please allow some time for defrosting larger protein items. It can take 2-3 days (you can find more details in the cooking instructions under ‘To Cook’ on our website).
Planning ahead will ensure you have a tasty, stress-free experience!
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
FILLING FREEZERS, TABLES AND BELLIES SINCE 2007.
Our website is up and running, ready to take your orders 24/7!
Our friendly customer service team is here to assist you from Monday to Friday, between 8:30 am and 5:45 pm.
Just a heads up, they’re unavailable on public holidays and weekends. But don’t worry! You can still reach out by sending an email, using our live chat, or leaving a voicemail, and our team will get back to you as soon as they can, when they're back in the office.
In the meantime, check our help centre to see if your question can be answered there.
SERVES YOU RIGHT.
Great question! Both options mean meals made with heart, and either choice will leave your recipient happy and full.
Gift Card: This flexible option lets your recipient choose their favourite meals and delivery time, making it perfect for someone who enjoys choice or has specific dietary needs. Gift cards are also ideal if you’re unsure about scheduling their delivery.
Dinner Ladies Box of Food: A curated box is a thoughtful, personal choice for close friends, family, or anyone you know well enough to pick specific meals for. It’s also great for hosts or those with busy holiday schedules.
Things to Consider:
- Dietary Preferences: Do you know their dietary needs? Any allergies or intolerances?
- Delivery Awareness: Will they be home to receive the delivery? Surprise orders aren’t recommended. Make sure to include the recipient's mobile number for delivery updates and let them know to expect texts from us regarding their delivery!
- Safe Delivery Location: Is there a secure spot to leave the order if they're not home? If so, please specify this in the delivery instructions.
- SMS Notifications: Let them know they'll receive SMS messages about their delivery. These will include tracking links and photos (so they don't think they're spam!).
- Freezer Space: Do they have room in the freezer to receive a freezerful of love, or do they need some time to create space?
If you're unsure about delivery timing or dietary needs, an e-gift card could be the better choice. This way, they can select their favourites and pick a delivery slot that suits them.
Ready to send a Dinner Ladies box?
- Select the meals you’d like to gift.
- Head to checkout and enter your email.
- Select “Yes” for “Is this a gift?”
- Enter the recipient’s delivery address and contact details, using your details for billing (in case we need to contact you).
Thank you for choosing Dinner Ladies for your holiday gifting!
Please note; Once delivered to the specified address, we cannot take responsibility for the order. It’s important for both the recipient and purchaser to ensure the address is correct and that the delivery location is safe for leaving an order unattended. The order should also be collected in a timely manner.
MEALS MADE WITH HEART
Exciting news! All delivery dates for December will be available from the 25th of November!
Feel free to place your order for this week and then make a second order for your Christmas feast—easy as that!
We recommend scheduling your delivery at least 2-3 days ahead of your gathering. This gives our dinners, especially the larger meats, plenty of time to gently defrost in the fridge.
While we always strive to ensure timely deliveries, sometimes unforeseen events can happen. It’s a good idea to allow a little wiggle room in case of any delays.
Check the latest date to place your order for delivery to your suburb before Christmas here.
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
DON’T WORRY, DINNERS DONE!
We’re excited to help you celebrate the festive season!
To avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend placing your order as soon as possible. Our dinners and delivery slots fill up quickly, so the sooner you order, the more delicious choices you'll have!
We suggest steering clear of last-minute deliveries if you can, just in case of any rare delays. It’s always nice to have a little wiggle room!
Please note that we do not deliver on Christmas Day. You’ll want plenty of time to defrost your feast. We recommend scheduling your delivery at least 2-3 days ahead of your gathering so that our larger meats can gently defrost in the fridge.
Short on freezer space and prefer not to receive your feast too early?
No problem! Here are the latest times you can place an order for delivery before Christmas for each region we service. Check which cut-off date applies to you! If you’re unsure about your region, just let us know your suburb and postcode, and we’ll be happy to help.
11:59 PM, Thursday 12th December
• QLD, Gympie
• VIC, Ararat and Stawell
• WA, Perth
11:59 PM, Monday 16th December
• ACT, Griffith
• NSW, Coffs Harbour
• NSW, Dubbo
• NSW, Forbes
• NSW, Mudgee
• NSW, Port Macquarie
• NSW, Tamworth and Armidale
• QLD, Bundaberg
• QLD, Mayborough
• VIC, Regional North West Horsham
11:59 PM, Tuesday 17th December
• QLD, Byron Bay
• QLD, Lismore
• VIC, Albury/Wodonga
• VIC, Gippsland
• VIC, Gippsland South
• VIC, Mildura
• VIC, Regional North - Cobram
• VIC, Regional North - Echuca
• VIC, Regional North - Yarrawonga
• VIC, Sale/Lakes Entrance
• VIC, Shepparton
11:59 PM, Wednesday 18th December
• ACT, MCS South West Border
• ACT, South Coast - Cooma
• QLD, Sunshine Coast
• SA, All
• VIC, Outer Melbourne East
• VIC, Outer Melbourne North
• VIC, Regional West - Portland
• VIC, Regional West - Warrnambool
11:59 PM, Thursday 19th December
• ACT, Canberra Metro
• NSW, Bathurst/Orange
• NSW, Blue Mountains
• NSW, Central Coast
• NSW, Newcastle
• NSW, Newcastle Regional
• NSW, Sydney Metro
• NSW, Wollongong Coast
• NSW, Wollongong South Coast
• QLD, Brisbane Metro
• QLD, Gold Coast
• QLD, Toowoomba
• VIC, Ballarat
• VIC, Bendigo
• VIC, Geelong
• VIC, Geelong Regional - Apollo Bay
• VIC, Geelong Regional - Lorne
• VIC, Melbourne Metro
• VIC, Melbourne Metro Inner
• VIC, Mornington Peninsula
• VIC, Outer Melbourne West
Happy planning, and we can’t wait to be part of your celebrations!
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
COMING IN COLD
The Dinner Ladies is a delivery-only service, so we’re unable to offer pick-up or click-and-collect at the moment. We can’t wait to deliver to you soon!
In the meantime, feel free to check out our delivery standards and delivery process to see what you can expect from your delivery driver!
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
HEAT UP. FEET UP. EAT UP.
Our delivery dates leading up to Christmas will be available when the menu goes live for orders on November 25th.
As time goes on, these dates will roll into January. If you're planning to host a feast later in December or next year, we recommend placing your order as soon as your selected date becomes available. Delivery dates for January will begin to be available from December 20th.
Since all our dinners are frozen, they’ll stay in your freezer until you’re ready to defrost and enjoy them!
OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM ARE ON HAND MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8:30-5:45PM (EXCLUDING PUBLIC HOLIDAYS).
HANDS FULL WITH LIFE? HERE’S A FREEZERFUL OF LOVE.
We Bring a Lot to the Table.
Check out our Christmas preview menu here.
You can order from the Christmas menu from Monday 25th of November
EAT YOUR HEART OUT.
Yes, but we do most of the work for you!
When your dinners arrive, it’s all about heating them up and maybe a few simple steps. Some dishes are ready to enjoy right away, while others might need a bit of finishing off or full cooking.
To keep things super easy, it’s a great idea to check the 'To Cook' details for each dish before you complete your order. Just click on the image of the dinner, and you’ll find all the info you need to make sure the steps are a breeze to follow!
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
HEAT UP. FEET UP. EAT UP.
So your dinners have arrived? Pop them all in the freezer for now.
Remember, larger dishes like ham or turkey take longer to defrost, so we recommend placing them in the fridge about 3 days before your gathering.
Once defrosted, all dinners can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking. Enjoy!
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
FLAVOUR-STACKED. FREEZER STOCKED.
For larger meals like turkey, ham, or eye fillet, it’s best to allow 2-3 days for them to fully defrost in the fridge. This method is recommended because it keeps the meat beautifully juicy after cooking, ensuring a delicious meal!
For more details, you can check out the cooking instructions on our website. Simply click the image of the dinner you’re interested in, and scroll down to the large green 'TO COOK' tab. There, you’ll find detailed defrosting and cooking instructions to help with your planning and prep times.
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
THE CROWD-PLEASER IN YOUR FREEZER
Our Christmas dinner menu is designed for sharing, so the serving sizes may differ from our regular options throughout the year.
We recommend clicking on the image of each dinner you’re interested in for precise serving suggestions and more details. Enjoy the feast!
START PLANNING NOW! CHRISTMAS MENU PREVIEW HERE—ORDERS OPEN FROM 25/11/2024!
WE BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.
Our menu and dinners
Keeping homemade at the heart of our kitchen and your home
Our food tastes homemade because, in essence, it is; we cook tried and treasured family recipes using ingredients that you'd find in a (well-stocked!) family kitchen. We use fabulous produce, cook by hand and then snap-freeze immediately after cooking. This means we don't need to add extra preservatives or colours, or anything you wouldn't generally use in your own cooking. It's as close to homemade as can be!
We’d love to label our food ‘preservative free’ because we don’t add any ourselves, but we’re using the same ingredients you may have at home and some, such as sauces and cheese, may already have preservatives in them.
Our chicken, duck and eggs are free-range and always have been. Our meat is all Australian, higher welfare and largely grass-fed. We work with our seafood suppliers on sourcing the best and most sustainable seafood, from Australia and New Zealand (hey, the fish don’t know where the boundary lies underwater).
Our food team tests and retests every dinner constantly to make sure it is packed with flavour – and that the cooking instructions actually work to give you the best result. No more does an easy family dinner from the freezer mean a bland dinner!
To see what goes into our dinners click the name or image of a dinner and read through the information there.
Dinner should be delicious and interesting every night!
We love variety and dinner time should always be exciting! For that reason, our menu is constantly evolving, with fresh dishes every week. Some dinners will never leave the menu, but we also create new dinners and rotate through recipes we have previously loved so you will always have a selection that matches the season and keeps things fresh!
If there is a much-loved dinner that you would love to see come back on the menu, please reach out to our customer service team ([email protected]) and we will pass on your request to the food and menu team- the more a dinner is requested, the quicker it will come back!
One size does not fit all!
Our dinners come in different sizes so we can serve the family, the couple, the single household or however many you need.
Mix and match sizes to suit your needs!
We give detailed information, including weights and nutritional values per portion, when you click through from the dinner’s title or photograph.
Our freezer room is limited by space so we can't make every dinner in every size but hope that people can add multiples to cater for the size they need. For this reason, you will see more smalls than other sizes.
Feast your eyes on our flexible menu now: The Dinner Ladies menu
We give you all the information upfront so you can order what's right for you.
The ingredients and allergens for each dinner can be viewed simply by clicking on the image or name of the dinner that interests you.
The Dinner Ladies kitchen is not free from allergens. While we take every precaution to prevent cross-contamination between dishes, we cannot 100% guarantee that any finished dish will be free from a given allergen. For that reason, we are unable to label our food "gluten-free", "dairy-free", etc.
If for medical or other reasons, you would like to avoid recipes that definitely contain a given allergen, you can use the filters on our menu page.
Our goal is to give as many people as possible the opportunity to put a delicious dinner on the table. This means we need to cook a lot of dinners!
We cook all our dinners in large batches so we're unable to change recipes or avoid particular allergens for individual orders.
We do not use LUPIN in our kitchen.
Need details on a dinner no longer available? We have you covered!
If you need any information on a dinner that's no longer available please let our customer service team know through our live chat or by email ([email protected]). Let us know what dinner you need info on and we'll send you back a screenshot of the details you need.
Our dinners are cooked using fan-forced ovens and the cooking instructions reflect this with '(ff)'. If you don’t have a fan-forced oven you can add 10 degrees to the temperature listed in our instructions. Ovens do vary so please adjust times if necessary.
How long will our meals last?
Our dinners are cooked from the best fresh ingredients and then immediately snap-frozen on site.
That's the joy of the Dinner Ladies. No need to worry about something going stale or getting old, they can be safely kept in the freezer for months without issue.
This means that without the need for any additives or preservatives, we can happily advise that our dinners will last for 3-6+ months after their cook date without any quality loss or safety concerns. When you receive our delicious dinners, there will be a best-before date printed in the bottom right-hand corner of the dinner's label.
In theory, the dinners can safely last several years in their frozen state however the quality of the dinner would slowly deteriorate after 6-9 months. This is why every dinner has an individual best-before date on the label.
Let's get that freezer full of yumminess! Order now
Gift cards and gift orders
Good question! Either option will mean dinner's done- Meals made with heart.
It's a tough call! Either one will no doubt leave them happy and full!
Surprise orders are strongly not recommended.
Here are some things to consider when deciding:
- Are you aware of their dietary preferences and needs?
- Will they be home and aware of the delivery? Surprise orders are strongly not recommended. Please ensure you put the recipient's mobile number in the shipping info and alert them that they'll be receiving texts from us.
- Is there a safe place to leave the order unattended if they aren't home? If so, please nominate this location in the delivery instructions.
- Are they aware they'll receive two messages via SMS about their delivery from us? Please let your recipient know to expect these so they don't think they are spam. They will include tracking links and photos of the delivery.
- If you cannot ensure there is a safe delivery location and are unsure if the recipient is home on any given day, we would probably recommend an e-gift card as an alternative. This allows your recipient to order what they'd like and select a delivery slot that suits them.
- If all this sounds good, and you’d like to go ahead and order a box of food to be delivered, simply select the dinners you'd like, to to the checkout and then after entering your email, select 'Yes' for the question 'Is this a gift?'. You’ll then get the recipient's delivery address and contact details so we can keep them up to date with the delivery. Please ensure you put in separate billing information in case we need to contact you for any reason.
Please be aware that we’re not responsible for orders after they have been delivered to the listed address. It is the responsibility of the recipient and purchaser to ensure that the address is correct and that the delivery location is safe to leave an order unattended and the order will be collected in good time.
The gift of food is the gift of love!
Our gift cards are simple to order and wonderful to receive. Give the gift of food, it's like receiving a warm hug!
It makes such a helpful, practical and delicious gift, making mealtimes a little easier and tastier!
All our gift cards are digital e-gift cards and are emailed to you or directly to the recipient. You also have the option to add personalisation to the gift card and can even record a video for the recipient to enjoy. We also offer to send a gift card by text message.
PLEASE NOTE- We cannot create custom gift card values. We hope that you'll be able to get close to your desired value by selecting a preset value or by combining multiple gift cards.
Before ordering please make sure we deliver to your recipient's suburb by checking our delivery info page, entering the suburb and selecting from the list. Please take note of any delivery fees and minimum order requirements.
How to order:
Once you've confirmed that we can deliver to your lucky recipient select the value you'd like the gift card to be.
(PLEASE NOTE- We cannot create custom gift card values. We hope that you'll be able to get close to your desired value by selecting a preset value or by combining multiple gift cards.
Next, you can choose which design you’d like on the gift card, we have some general gift cards, in different colour choices, and also some occasion gift cards covers too!
Choose whether the gift card is sent to your email address so that you can pass this on to the recipient, or if you would like us to send this directly to the recipient's email address.
Next steps if you click 'SEND TO MYSELF'
Next steps if you click ' SEND TO RECIPIENT'
NOTE: As you are purchasing store credit at a set value, discount codes cannot be used on the purchase of a gift card. Discount codes are only valid for food orders.
Wonderful, let's walk through the ordering process when purchasing a gift card to be sent to yourself! You can then either forward the email, print it out to give to them a paper copy to pop inside your own card or even just take the gift card code to share in your own card if you would prefer!
Please don't worry, this will not impact the recipient in any way, all they need is the unique gift card code to redeem at the checkout when they want to place their order!
1. Select to send the gift card to 'myself' and enter your email (twice to avoid any typos) and a personal message -don't forget to say who it's from! This will be displayed on the e-gift card. You can attach a video message to make it fun and personal.
2. Click confirm details and a pop-up box will appear so you can review the information provided (click the + to review your message) and then click ‘ADD TO CART’.
3. In the top right you will see that your gift card has been added to the cart (indicated by a number), you can then click on your cart to proceed to the checkout!
All done! Easy- At the checkout, enter your email and your billing details to make the payment, no need to mark this as a gift during the checkout process (this is for gift orders of a box of food being delivered to the recipient, so we can add a gift note inside).
We will send this gift card immediately to your email inbox, it should arrive pretty quickly, but please allow up to 45 minutes in case our system is busy processing orders and going a bit slower than usual!
Thank you for choosing the Dinner Ladies for your kind and thoughtful gift!
NOTE: Be sure to check junk/spam, 'other' (outlook) or 'promotions' (gmail) folders in case it has been filtered into these rather than the main inbox.
Sending the gift card directly to the recipient?
(use this option if you would us to send the gift card via text message)
1. Enter the recipient’s email address (twice to avoid any typos). If you'd like to send it by SMS as well, enter their mobile number. This makes it super easy for them to just stick the card in their digital wallet.
Type in a personal message -don't forget to say who it's from! This will be displayed on the e-gift card. You can attach a video message to make it fun and personal.
2. Send now, or send later?
If you would like us to send this gift card immediately, click ‘ SEND NOW’. However, if you are incredibly organised and ordering this gift card in advance of a certain date (Birthday or Christmas perhaps?) opt to ‘SEND LATER’.
If you click to send it later, use the small calendar icon to select a date and time you'd like us to send the gift card to the recipient.
3. Click confirm details and a pop-up box will appear so you can review the information provided (click the + to review your message) and then click ‘ADD TO CART’.
All done!
At the checkout, enter your email and your billing details to make the payment, no need to mark this as a gift during the checkout process (this is for gift orders of a box of food being delivered to the recipient, so we can add a gift note inside).
We will send this gift card when instructed to the email address provided, it should arrive pretty quickly, but please allow up to 45 minutes in case our system is busy processing orders and going a bit slower than usual!
Thank you for choosing the Dinner Ladies for your kind and thoughtful gift!
NOTE: If the recipient has any difficulty locating their gift card, ask them to check their junk/spam, 'other' (outlook) or 'promotions' (gmail) folders in case it has been filtered into these rather than the main inbox.
To redeem your gift card, just enter the code at the checkout. Please see below for a visual reference to show where the gift card code section can be found on a computer and on a phone.
It's best to copy and paste the code from the email to ensure the characters are all correct.
It's worth noting that gift cards don't have to be used all at once. You can use the credit on them across as many orders as you like until the credit is all used or it expires. All purchased gift cards have a 3-year expiry date from the day of purchase.
Pop the email or code somewhere for safekeeping so you can refer back to it next time you would like to order! Receive the gift card by text message? Stick the card in your digital wallet for safekeeping.
Do you have multiple gift cards? Lucky you! You can use multiple gift cards when paying for your order- apply them one by one and they can all be used in conjunction. The first gift card applied will use all available value before charging the second gift card.
NOTE: We recommend entering the gift card details before entering any other details as it refreshes your checkout and details can be lost.
PC:
Phone:
If you don't receive your gift card, please first check junk/spam, 'other' (outlook) or 'promotions' (gmail) folders in case it has been filtered into these rather than the main inbox.
If it's not there please reach out to our customer service team ([email protected]) and they'll be more than happy to assist. We may ask for an alternative email, so please have one ready, just in case.
Unfortunately, our system does not allow for custom value vouchers at the moment. We hope that you'll be able to get close to your desired value by selecting a preset value or by combining multiple gift cards.
For the recipient, using multiple gift cards is easy, all the recipient needs to do is enter both codes in at the checkout. You can use a gift card as many times as you want to until the credit is all used or it expires.
Gift cards are valid for three years from the date of purchase!
Give the gift of love and order your gift card today! Dinner Ladies gift cards
Checking the balance of your gift card is easy!
If your gift card was purchased after July 1 2022:
Visit our gift card balance check page here!
If your gift card was purchased before July 1 2022:
Please get in touch with our customer experience team and they can check this for
Our gift cards live long and are easy to use!
All gift cards are valid for 3 years from the date of purchase.
This gives your recipient plenty of time to place their orders and stock the freezer!
Our gift cards can be used multiple times too, so no need to worry about using the entire balance in one go. As long as you keep the code handy and enter it at the checkout, the gift card and whatever remaining funds are there will be usable throughout its life.
Please don’t worry.
Just get in touch via our live chat, phone (0283106508) or email ([email protected]) and let us know the email address associated with the order, whether the gift-giver's or yours. We’ll track it down and resend it.
Delivery FAQ's and Standards
We deliver all across NSW, VIC, ACT and parts of QLD and SA! And hopefully to you!
Want to know if we deliver to your suburb? Check our delivery info page here!
You can also find out what to expect from our deliveries here.
For any other questions just reach out to our customer service team via live chat or email ([email protected])
Dinner's on the way and we couldn't be more excited to stock your freezer!
Our delivery drivers are there to ensure your dinners arrive safely at your door so you can enjoy stress-free dinners.
What our drivers should do:
- Deliver to the address provided during your checkout process, which can be seen and confirmed in your order confirmation email.
- They should follow your delivery instructions where possible, unless the instructions conflict with the list below (what our drivers can't do).
- For delivery to apartments, the driver will leave the order safely in the lobby if they can get access.
If the driver cannot get access to the lobby they will leave the order under the buzzers.
Unfortunately, we are unable to deliver to your unit door (due to parking and time constraints). - For deliveries to a house, they will leave the order by the front door unless a safe place to the front of the property has been nominated in the delivery instructions.
IMPORTANT! Your primary form of delivery notification is by SMS to the mobile number listed with the shipping address during the checkout process, please refer to this for notification of your delivery, as the drivers do not knock or ring the doorbell.
What our drivers can't do:
- Call on approach or arrival. Our drivers are not allowed to touch their devices whilst driving and are not provided with work phones. Please use the tracking link that we SMS for the most up-to-date ETA.
- Enter your home, go around to the back of a property, enter the garage or unpack your order.
All orders must be delivered to the front of a home. - Drop orders over fences where they can't reach the ground.
- Enter a property where there is a loose dog.
- Drive down narrow, steep, dimly lit, or unpaved driveways. They may also not drive down driveways where it isn't clear if they can safely turn around at the end. Please make a note of this in your delivery instructions if needed.
Receiving your order:
- Your primary form of delivery notification is by SMS to the mobile number listed with the shipping address during the checkout process, please refer to this for notification of your delivery, as the drivers do not knock or ring the doorbell.
- All our orders are delivered with a foil insulation and a large icepack. This will keep your dinners nice and cold for several hours after delivery.
- You do not need to be home for delivery, however, please bring your order in at your earliest convenience to avoid defrosting.
- The Dinner Ladies are not responsible for stolen deliveries or deliveries that have been left unattended for an extended period of time. Please nominate a safe location to leave your order in the delivery instructions.
If you have chosen a 12 am to 7 am silent delivery (available in limited areas) please read the specific standards for the delivery shift here.
Please ensure you enter a mobile number at the checkout so you can receive your delivery notifications and updates.
All deliveries have a minimum food order value that needs to be met. (This is not us upselling, we promise! It's so you don't have one lonely package rattling around in a big box which would be more prone to defrosting or transit damage.
But, here's the plus side! Once you've reached a certain order value, delivery's on us!
To find out the minimum order and free delivery threshold for your suburb please visit our delivery info page.
Discount codes and order thresholds
Please note that the minimum order and free delivery thresholds must be met before shipping costs are calculated and AFTER any discounts are applied.
So, if your minimum food order threshold is $100 and you have a discount of $25, your order would have to be $125 or higher in order to be placed. A delivery fee would be in addition to the food cost.
Another example: If the free delivery threshold for your area is $200 and you have a discount of $25 off your order would need to be equal to $225 for food, or higher, to be eligible for free delivery.
So you want to place an order but need to know how the delivery will work?
Well, let's go through it together!
- Check if we deliver to your area and the associated fees and thresholds by visiting our delivery info page
- At the checkout, before you pay, you will be able to choose the delivery date that suits you the most. We always display the earliest possible delivery first. Here you can state your delivery instructions too.
- As your order is packed and sent off for dispatch, you'll receive an email. Once you receive this email we cannot make changes to your delivery or order.
- Within 24 hours of the delivery being made, we will send you an SMS to the mobile number listed on the shipping address. This SMS will contain a tracking link.
- Check your tracking link after 8 am on the day of delivery for the most accurate ETA. These ETA's are live and can change based on the driver's progress with the delivery run.
- As your driver arrives you'll receive another SMS with a confirmation that the delivery is completed. If you aren't home to accept the delivery please check this immediately to ensure the delivery is left as needed. If there is an issue, please contact us by phone ASAP (0283106508).
- Bring your order in, stock the fridge and freezer with your yummy dinners and enjoy stress-free delicious food!
IMPORTANT; We use a courier partner to help us get our delicious dinners to your doors, and when our courier partner is delivering to you for the first time, they will send you an SMS to request that you confirm your delivery address- this is a great opportunity to check that we have the pin-drop correct, and opportunity to provide photos of what your property looks like and where you would like the driver to leave your order. It is so helpful to eliminate delivery errors and we would be VERY grateful if you could take a minute or 2 to help your delivery driver locate your home! See a quick DEMO of the process here!
Note: Please make sure you read and understand our delivery standards before placing your first order.
Please ensure you enter a mobile number at the checkout so that you can receive your delivery notifications and updates.
Choosing your delivery date & time
When you place an order, you can choose your delivery date and window at the checkout.
We're sorry, but we're unable to request specific times within the window chosen - our drivers follow a preset route based on algorithms too complicated for us to mess with. You will receive an SMS with an ETA within 24 hours of your delivery time. Make sure you leave the mobile number of the person who will receive the order when you place it.
The link in the SMS is live and updates throughout the day. Please check the link on the day of delivery for the most up-to-date ETA.
Changing your delivery date or address
If you need to change your delivery date or address be sure to get in touch with us as soon as possible via live chat or phone during business hours and we'll do what we can to help.
We will send you an email once your order has been packed. From this point, changes become pretty difficult to accommodate but we'll always do what we can to help!
We will require a minimum of 1 business days notice before the delivery window is about to begin!
For example, if your delivery is due to arrive on Wednesday between 7am and 6:30pm, 24 hours before this window begins is at 7am on Tuesday morning, so we need to hear from you BEFORE then- during business hours (8:15am-5:45pm) on Monday. For urgent enquiries like this, please call us- 0283106508.
If your order is due to arrive within 24 hours we aren't able to make any changes so if something unforeseen happens and you can no longer receive your order, please try to make arrangements with your neighbour, friends or family to collect the order for you.
It's great if you give us detailed delivery instructions. They help the driver identify your home from your neighbours and make sure they leave your order exactly where you expect to find it.
Some suggestions on what to write in your delivery instructions:
- How to buzz your apartment
- Gate codes
- How to find the right apartment block if in a large complex
- Building or house colour
- Where to find the house number
- A safe place for the driver to leave the order - this must be accessible even if they can't get in touch with you.
- Instructions on how to navigate a difficult or tight driveway
Please note that delivery instructions are only read by the driver at the time of delivery. If you need to get in touch before your delivery is made please contact our customer service team.
What our drivers can't do:
- Call on approach or arrival. Our drivers are not allowed to touch their devices whilst driving and are not provided with work phones. Please use the tracking link that we SMS for the most up-to-date ETA.
- Enter your home, go around to the back of a property, enter the garage or unpack your order. All orders must be delivered to the front of a home.
- Drop orders over fences where they can't reach the ground.
- Enter a property where there is a loose dog.
- Drive down narrow, steep, dimly lit, or unpaved driveways. They may also not drive down driveways where it isn't clear if they can safely turn around at the end. Please make a note of this in your delivery instructions if needed.
For delivery to apartments, the driver will leave the order safely in the lobby if they can get access. If the driver cannot get access to the lobby they will leave the order under the buzzers. Unfortunately, we are unable to deliver to your unit door (due to parking and time constraints).
IMPORTANT! Your primary form of delivery notification is by SMS to the mobile number listed with the shipping address during the checkout process, please refer to this for notification of your delivery, as the drivers do not knock or ring the doorbell.
No need! We deliver to most of our lovely customers when they are out and about. We know you are busy!
Please make sure you leave detailed delivery instructions and nominate a safe place for us to leave your order. If no delivery instructions are left we'll leave it by the front door, or for apartments under the buzzer (unless they can get access to the lobby).
Your dinners are wrapped in foil insulation and come with a large icepack which keeps things very cold for quite a few hours.
NOTE: The Dinner Ladies are not responsible for stolen deliveries or deliveries which have been left unattended for an extended period of time. Please nominate a safe location to leave your order in the delivery instructions.
Please ensure you enter a mobile number at the checkout so that you can receive your delivery notifications and updates.
Thank you so much for choosing us as your gift!
When we deliver a gift order our delivery texts go to the mobile number listed with the shipping address. We can only send an SMS to one phone number.
You, as the purchaser will receive a confirmation email and this states the delivery date and time slot chosen.
Please ensure your recipient is aware that a delivery is on its way. While we all love surprises, they are less fun if the surprise is a box of defrosted dinners. Planning to retrieve the order is important so please don't keep this one to yourself.
Things to consider;
- Will the recipient be home and aware of the delivery?
Surprise orders are strongly not recommended. Please ensure you put the recipient's mobile number in the shipping info and alert them that they'll be receiving texts from us. - Is there a safe place to leave the order unattended if they aren't home? If so, please make sure you nominate this location in the delivery instructions.
- Is the recipient aware they'll receive two messages via SMS about their delivery from us? Please let your recipient know to expect these so they don't think they are spam. They will include tracking links and photos of the delivery.
Please ensure you put in separate billing information in case we need to contact you for any reason.
Please be aware that we’re not responsible for orders after they have been delivered to the listed address. It is the responsibility of the recipient and purchaser to ensure that the address is correct and that the delivery location is safe to leave an order unattended and the order will be collected in good time.
Please enter the recipient's mobile number at the checkout so that they can receive their delivery notifications and updates.
If you enter your own mobile number, you are responsible for letting the recipient know when the order is coming, and when it has arrived so they can pop them safely in their freezer!
Thank you so much for responsibly recycling your Dinner Ladies box!
We do try to use as much recyclable material in our packaging as possible and hope this information can be of some help. We also encourage you to recycle wherever possible!
Here's how to properly dispose of your packaging;
- The cardboard box makes a great toy for the cat or toddlers... but also can be packed down and put in the home recycling bin.
- The foil insulation is made from reusable and recycled plastics. Please dispose of it with your other soft plastics.
- The ice packs are eco-friendly! Put them in your garden to help the soil retain water or add a teaspoon of salt to the mix and wash it down the drain. Our founder Katherine demonstrates and explains this here.
The plastic wrap can also go with your soft plastics. - The pulp trays are biodegradable after you've removed the plastic liner. The liner can go in the soft plastics and the tray in the recycling or even compost.
- The alfoil trays can be put in the home recycling (after being licked clean of course!).
This blog post also has some great tips and ideas on how to reuse our packaging.
Note: We are aware of the issues with soft plastics recycling at the moment. We are excited that some councils have taken a proactive approach and are offering soft plastic collections. To check what your council recommends, please visit https://arl.org.au/. In the item search field enter 'soft plastic' to receive the correct advice. We are working closely with our suppliers who are developing plastic-free or biodegradable liner options too.
A newer solution that may be available to you (at a small cost) that we are very excited about as it provides a responsible way to recycle soft plastics. It's through a company called Recycle Smart. We would recommend having a look into them and seeing if this solution would work for you. Essentially you book a date and they'll come to your place and collect the soft plastics (and other recyclables) that you leave out for them. There is a small cost associated with this but it's the best way we've found to recycle the liners since RedCycle became unavailable.
With great care and practice!
All our dinners are cooked fresh in our kitchen in Sydney. We then snap-freeze the dinners and use specialist frozen freight and couriers to get them to your door. No matter if you are next door or the next state, it all arrives the same way - safely and ready for the freezer or oven.
Any long-haul transport is completed by freezer freight and stored in frozen depots around the country. The last mile, or local deliveries, is completed by refrigerated vans which allows them to get right to your door.
The Dinner Ladies is a delivery-only service and pick-up from our Matraville kitchen is not available. It is something that we are looking into and if we can make this happen we'll certainly be announcing it in our newsletters and on our social media channels.
We look forward to delivering to you soon!
Using our website & order troubleshooting
If you are at the checkout and are receiving an error that looks similar to the below image, it means either, that we do not deliver to your location OR that the shipping address has not been entered correctly.
To check if we deliver to you please visit our delivery info page. If you've confirmed that we do deliver to your area please revisit the information page and ensure you have everything typed into the correct fields.
Are you able to revisit the checkout and reenter your address?
It's helpful if you choose from the drop-down selection that should appear when you start typing your address within the first address line bar. Start by entering any unit numbers followed by the street address into the top line of the address, followed by the suburb until you see the correct address in the drop-down. Then click your address and it will fill out the address form for you. ensuring everything is in the right place.
Please do not use any browser auto-fill suggestions as these often fill in the wrong fields, even for the phone number.
If you have checked that we do deliver to your suburb, that everything is correctly spelled and entered in the right fields and you are still having issues please let us know and we can look into this with you.
You can reach out by live chat, phone (0283106508) or email ([email protected]).
Ready to return to the menu and place your order? Click here!
What's better than Dinner Ladies? Dinner Ladies with a discount!
All our discount codes are simply applied by entering the discount code at the checkout. Below is a screenshot to show where the code section can be found on a computer and on a phone. It's best to copy and paste the code from the email to ensure the characters are all correct.
It's worth noting that discounts lower the value of the dinners you are choosing and therefore all minimum order and free delivery thresholds are calculated AFTER a discount is applied. If you are under a threshold once a discount is applied please add an extra dish to the cart. More yummy dinners for you!
Unfortunately, only one discount can be used per order.
Remember to check if your discount code is still valid, as they will each have an expiry date!
NOTE: We recommend entering the discount details before entering in any other details as it refreshes your checkout and details can be lost.
NOTE: Discount codes cannot be used on the purchase of a gift card. Discount codes are only valid for food orders.
PC:
Phone:
Time to fill that freezer with delicious dinners! The Dinner Ladies Menu
No problemo!
We make getting your invoice easier than eggs on toast. When you place an order, your order confirmation email has a link to download the invoice at the bottom. Alternatively, create an account, log in and you'll be able to download your invoices for any past orders.
Ready to order again? Check out the menu here!
Give $25, get $25!
If you love the dinner ladies and think your friends and family would like them too we'd love you to share our name with them! We'll even welcome them with $25 off their first order and say thank you to you by giving you $25 off too!
To use our referral program please follow these steps:
- Go to our referral program page
This can be found via the website by going to 'help' and then 'refer a friend'. - Enter your name and email - this is so we can send you your discount code when they've ordered!
- Choose whether to send your referral code via a link (good for texting or if sending to many people) or send via email.
- If sending by link - copy the link and send it however you feel is best!
- Your friend or family can then click on the link, enter their name and email
- They'll be emailed a code to enter at the checkout
- If sending by email - enter the email address of your recipient. If you are sending to multiple people, put a comma (,) after each email.
- You can alter the subject and message that will appear in the email.
- Click send email
- Your friend will receive an email with a signup link, once they enter their name and email they'll get their discount code to use at the checkout.
- Once the person you've referred has used the code they've received and placed an order, you'll get an email with a discount code to use on your next order!
Things to note:
- You can only refer people who have not ordered with the Dinner Ladies before. If they have ordered before they will not be able to redeem the code.
- Our referral codes expire 90 days after they've been issued
- Purchasing a gift card? Send them a referral code as well so they can get add an additional $25 of food to their cart at no cost to them! Purchasing a gift card does not equate to a referral.
We want your ordering experience to be on your terms!
No need to subscribe or commit - just order when you need us.
Dinner Ladies Accounts
If you'd like to log in and see your past order history and save your regular delivery addresses you can create an account here.
Accounts are not created automatically at the time of ordering. If you have not created an account since 1st July 2022, you will need to create one.
Subscriptions
The Dinner Ladies is not a subscription service and we do not ask for any ongoing commitments or contracts. Simply choose the dinners you'd like and we'll deliver them to you when you like. The amount you order and how often you do that is completely up to you! Obviously, we hope to see you as often as possible and we will use our cooking to entice you back.
Ready to become a Dinner Ladies customer? Create an account or simply, order now!
Ordering with Aged Care or Home Care packages
Are you a registered provider?
The Dinner Ladies is not a registered Aged Care or NDIS home meal service provider and we are not able to accept invoice payments from a third-party provider.
That said, we have a lot of customers who have an Aged Care or NDIS plan ordering from the Dinner Ladies and we hope you can too.
All orders for the Dinner Ladies need to be placed online using a credit card and paid in full at the time of the order.
Once an order is placed you will receive a confirmation email which is your receipt. Many customers can send this on to their plan manager who will reimburse them for their plans’ allowance. A tax invoice is downloadable from the link at the bottom of the confirmation email.
The tax invoice we provide when you purchase from us can be used by your provider to claim any subsidies, they deem you may be eligible for within your plan.
Do you offer split invoices and take split payments?
Our systems cannot split the invoices into labour and ingredient portions.
We always recommend speaking with your provider, to advise them of your intentions to use your funding toward the cost of enjoy our delicious dinners, for their approval first, and to ensure they are aware of your desire to seek reimbursement after you pay in full at the time of ordering.
There are a few things to consider before ordering with us;
The Dinner Ladies only offers online ordering. If you are not super confident in placing an order online, we suggest having a friend or family member support you to place an order.
To ensure your ordering and delivery experience with The Dinner Ladies is seamless, you'll need an email address and a mobile phone number. This allows us to send you order confirmations, delivery updates, and tracking notifications to keep you informed every step of the way to your order being delivered to your door. Our primary form of delivery notification is by SMS (text message) to the mobile number listed with the shipping address during the checkout process, please refer to this for notification of your delivery, as the drivers do not knock or ring the doorbell.
To ensure a delicious and safe dining experience with a Dinner Ladies meal, it is essential that instructions provided can be and are followed step by step. These are available on the website before ordering and are also printed on the label of each dinner for easy reference.
The Dinner Ladies do not cater for specialised meals for swallowing difficulties (such as a soft diet or texture modified meals).
We hope this helps and we can cook for you soon!
Ready to stock the freezer? Order now!
If you are someone who is vision impaired our website should be navigatable using the accessibility features on your device. To make your delivery easier, please give us a call and let us know and we will call you with an ETA for delivery once this is available.
We are working with our delivery system partners to improve the accessibility features on the tracking links but at this stage, we believe the best service is if you call to let us know and we'll keep you updated as best we can.
Get support
- Chat with usChat to us live during business hours or leave us a message and we'll get back to you once we are back online!
- Call usGive us a call! Our Customer Service team are available Monday - Friday, between 8:30am to 5:45pm.
- The Dinner Ladies: +61 2 8310 6508