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FAQs

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.  

All our poultry (including duck and the Christmas turkey) and eggs are free range and always have been. Our meat is all Australian, higher welfare and largely grassfed. 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!  

Visit our current monthly specials here: The Dinner Ladies Monthly Specials

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. We do not use LUPIN in our kitchen.

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.


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.


We are happy to let you know that all our lamb, beef and poultry are sourced from halal-certified providers. However, the Dinner Ladies' kitchen is not a halal kitchen as we use the same facility to prepare pork and some dishes contain alcohol. We do prepare all our recipes one at a time and do a thorough clean between dishes so there would be no direct contact between recipes. 


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. 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

The gift of food is the gift of love!

Our gift cards are simple to order and pretty nice to receive. All our gift cards are digital and are emailed to you or directly to the recipient. To order, visit our gift card page and follow these steps:

  1. 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.
  2. Once you've confirmed that we can deliver to your lucky recipient select the value you'd like the gift card to be. NOTE: We cannot create custom gift cards (a work in progress on our end). We hope by combining multiple gift cards you can reach the value you need.
  3. Choose whether the gift card is sent to your email address (follow along to the next step) or to the recipient's email address (proceed to step 5)
  4. Enter your email 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. 
  5. Enter the recipient's name (full names make it easier to confirm a recipient's details should they need us to resend it to them later).
  6. Enter and then confirm the recipient's email address. 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.
  7. Add your name in the 'From' section. This will be displayed in the email subject, not the gift message.
  8. Select a date and time to send the gift card  (great if you want it sent on a specific day like a birthday!). If you select the current date and time, it will be sent immediately.
  9. Click add to cart. This will take you to the shopping cart review page. If you need to add multiple gift cards to your cart, click gift cards again.
  10. Check out - please note that the address is for billing purposes only.
  11. Your gift card/s will be emailed immediately if sent to yourself or at the time specified if we are emailing the card to the recipient. We'll send you a confirmation that your gift card has been sent to the recipient at the time set too.

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.

All done! Easy, hey?

Should I send a box or should I send a gift card?

It's a tough call! Either one will no doubt leave them happy and full so 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. 

To redeem your gift card, just enter the code at the checkout.  Below is a screenshot 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. Stick the card in your digital wallet for safekeeping. 

Have multiple gift cards? No worries! Just 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 in 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 your spam or promotions folders first.  

If it's not there please reach out to our customer service team 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 combining multiple gift cards. 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.


It's part of our development pipeline to have custom values and we hope we can have this available not too far into the future.

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 (it’s a good idea to save it to your digital wallet) and enter it at the checkout, the gift card and whatever remaining funds are there will be usable throughout its life.

Don’t you worry. Just get in touch via our live chat, phone or email 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:

  • Your driver should knock/buzz on arrival.
  • They should follow your delivery instructions where possible, unless the instructions conflict with the list below.
  • Apartments: they will leave the order safely in the lobby if they can get access. We cannot guarantee they will be able to deliver to your front door due to parking and time constraints. If the driver cannot get access to the lobby they will leave the order under the buzzers.

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:

  • 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 which 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 delivery (available in limited areas) please read the specific standards for the delivery shift here.



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!

  1. Check if we deliver to your area and the associated fees and thresholds by visiting our delivery info page
  2. 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.
  3. As your order is packed and sent off for despatch, you'll receive an email. Once you receive this email we cannot make changes to your delivery or order. 
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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. someone is available via phone available 24/7.
  7. Bring your order in, stock the fridge and freezer with your yummy dinners and enjoy stress-free delicious food!

Note: Please make sure you read and understand our delivery standards before placing your first order.


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! 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 longe receive your order, please try to make arrangements with your neighbour, friends or family to collect the order for you.

Our overnight deliveries are silent deliveries - ie we won't knock or buzz on delivery - and may not be the most appropriate option for everyone.

If you live in an apartment we don't recommend this delivery shift unless the driver can access the lobby without buzzing.

Please ensure that there is a safe, accessible area for the driver to leave your order without having to be in touch. Please note that the driver will be unfamiliar with your home so your nominated location must be very easy to find. We cannot deliver to the back of a house or enter past the common front area of the property overnight. If there isn't a safe place out the front to leave it we do not recommend this delivery slot.

You will receive a text with your tracking link within 24 hours before the delivery is made and a text when the order is delivered. Whilst our insulation, icepack and frozen dinners can last many hours outside please bring the order in as soon as possible and ensure that the nominated location is out of the elements. Check your tracking link once the delivery is made for a photo of where it has been left.

Please note that the Dinner Ladies is not responsible for parcel theft. This most commonly occurs overnight so please ensure you have a safe place, out of sight of the street where the driver can leave your order.


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.


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.


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 on 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.


Thank you so much for responsibly recycling your Dinner Ladies box!

All our packaging is recyclable and we love that! Here's how to properly dispose of your box.

  • 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. 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!).

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. 


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.

In this example, the suburb of Matraville is misspelled. If the suburb doesn't match the corresponding postcode correctly, the delivery slots will not display.

To fix this:

  1. Click 'Change' next to the address in the 'ship to' section
  2. Retype your delivery address in the first address line and select from the drop-down options. Auto-fill options from your browser may lead to the wrong fields being completed.
  3. This will complete the address form and fill in the correct fields for you. If your address doesn't appear you can enter it manually, ignoring the drop-down, but please ensure your suburb and postcode are correct and in the right fields.
  4. Click continue to shipping
  5. Your delivery options should now be appearing.

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.

Here's a video as well that may help resolve the issue for you:


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.

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.

Create an account

Log in

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:

  1. Go to our referral program page
  2. Enter your name and email - this is so we can send you your discount code when they've ordered!
  3. Choose whether to send your referral code via a link (good for texting or if sending to many people) or send via email.
  4. If sending by link - copy the link and send it however you feel is best!
    1. Your friend or family can then click on the link, enter their name and email
    2. They'll be emailed a code to enter at the checkout
  5. If sending by email - enter the email address of your recipient. If you are sending to multiple people, put a comma (,) after each email.
    1. You can alter the subject and message that will appear in the email.
    2. Click send email
    3. 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.
  6. 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 NDIS, ACAT or Home Care packages

We have a lot of customers on NDIS, ACAT, Home Care or similar programs 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. We are not able to accept invoice payments from a third-party provider. Our systems also cannot split the invoices into labour and ingredient portions.

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 receipt/invoice is downloadable from the link at the bottom of the confirmation email.

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 us
    Chat to us live during business hours or leave us a message and we'll get back to you once we are back online!
    • Call us
      Give us a call! We are ready to take your call 24/7. Please note that our in-house team are only available Monday - Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
      • The Dinner Ladies: +61 2 8310 6508