Food Delivery Discounts & Student Deal Hacks
Eating well at university does not have to drain your bank account. From Friday night takeaways to weekly meal prep, we have curated the best ways to save on food delivery in the UK.
Let us be honest, after a long day of lectures or a late night in the library, cooking is often the last thing on your mind. While we all aim to meal prep and cook from scratch, sometimes a takeaway or a meal kit is exactly what is needed.
The good news is that paying full price for food delivery is rarely necessary if you know where to look. Whether you are craving a pizza, sushi, or just need groceries delivered to your door, there are numerous codes, loops, and loyalty schemes designed to keep cash in your pocket.
The ‘Big Three’ Delivery Apps
Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat dominate the UK market. However, they are constantly fighting for your custom, which means great deals for you if you play them against each other.
Uber Eats
New users almost always get the best deal, often up to £10 off your first order. If you have already used your first-time code, check your email. Uber Eats frequently sends ‘We miss you’ promo codes offering 25% to 50% off if you have not ordered for a few weeks.
Check Uber EatsDeliveroo
Deliveroo is excellent for local restaurant partnerships. Keep an eye out for ‘Tasty Discounts’ within the app which rotate daily. They also have a ‘Deliveroo Students’ club which offers exclusive discounts just for verifying your university status.
Check DeliverooJust Eat
Just Eat is often the go-to for smaller, local takeaways that might not be on the other platforms. Their famous ‘Cheeky Tuesday’ promotion offers 20% off selected restaurants every single week.
Check Just EatIf you have an Amazon Prime Student account (which you should, as you get a 6-month free trial), you can link it to your Deliveroo account. This grants you free Deliveroo Plus Silver membership, giving you free delivery on orders over £25. It is a massive saving over the course of an academic year.
Meal Kits: Cooking Made Easy & Cheap
If you want to learn to cook but hate the hassle of grocery shopping, meal kits are a fantastic bridge. They send you the exact ingredients and recipes. While full-priced boxes can be pricey, the introductory offers are often cheaper than buying groceries at the supermarket.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh is perfect for students learning the basics. Their introductory offers are aggressive, often giving you 60% off your first box and 25% off subsequent boxes for two months. You can cancel at any time, making it worth trying at least once for a week of cheap, high-quality meals.
View HelloFresh OffersGousto
Gousto offers a massive variety of recipes, including speedy 10-minute meals. Like HelloFresh, their new customer deals are substantial. Look for offers that give you 65% off your first box and 25% off all other boxes in your first two months.
View Gousto OffersPizza & Fast Food Specials
Sometimes only a pizza will do. The major chains compete heavily for the student market, meaning you should never pay full menu price for a pizza.
- Domino’s: They nearly always have a dedicated student discount page (usually 35% off when you spend £25+). However, always check the ‘Deals’ tab first. Often, the ‘Two for Tuesday’ or large pizza bundle deals work out cheaper than applying a standard percentage discount.
- Pizza Hut: Look out for their student buffet deals if you are dining in, but for delivery, they offer a standard 20% student discount Sunday through Thursday.
- Papa John’s: They run frequent ‘50% off pizza’ weeks. Sign up for their ‘Papa Rewards’ scheme to earn points on every slice, which adds up to free sides remarkably quickly.
Grocery Delivery Hacks
Dragging heavy bags of pasta and washing powder back from the shops is not fun. Getting it delivered can actually save you money by preventing impulse buys in the aisles.
Amazon Fresh / Morrisons on Amazon
If you have Prime, you can order groceries from Amazon Fresh, Morrisons, and Co-op directly through Amazon. They often offer £15 off your first three grocery orders of £60+. This is an incredible way to stock up on non-perishables and household cleaning supplies at the start of term.
Supermarket Delivery Passes
If you order weekly, a delivery pass is essential. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and ASDA all offer ‘Anytime’ delivery passes. If you split the cost of a delivery pass (usually around £3 to £7 a month) with your housemates, you can get your weekly shop delivered for pennies per person.
Eco-Friendly Bargains
Saving money and saving the planet can go hand in hand. These apps connect you with food that would otherwise go to waste.
Too Good To Go
This app allows you to purchase ‘Magic Bags’ from cafes, bakeries, and restaurants (including Greggs, Starbucks, and Costa) at the end of the day. You usually pay around £3 to £4 for £10 to £12 worth of food. The catch is that you do not know exactly what is inside, but it is almost always high-quality fresh food.
Olio
Olio is a local community sharing app. Neighbours and local businesses list food they do not need for free. It is hit or miss, but you can often find Pret A Manger sandwiches or bakery items listed by volunteers at the end of the day completely for free.
3 Golden Rules for Delivery Savings
- Always check for a code: Before hitting ‘Pay’, do a quick search. If you cannot find one, check if the restaurant has its own website. Ordering direct often bypasses the service fees charged by the big apps.
- Order with Housemates: Delivery fees and service charges are often flat rates. Splitting a £3.99 delivery fee between four people makes it negligible. Plus, larger orders often trigger ‘spend £20 save £5’ offers.
- Collection is King: If the restaurant is only a 10-minute walk away, go get it. You save the delivery fee, the driver tip, and often the menu prices are lower for collection than they are for delivery.
By using a combination of new customer offers, loyalty schemes, and eco-friendly apps, you can enjoy great food without blowing your student loan. Happy eating!