Top 5 Food Delivery Apps to Use in the UK in 2026
Updated: 12 September 2026
The food delivery scene in the UK continues to thrive, offering consumers a convenient way to enjoy their favourite meals from the comfort of their homes. Several food delivery apps stand out in 2026 for their diverse options, user-friendly features and reliable service – from the established favourites to specialists built around a single cuisine or a genuinely different way of ordering. Here's a look at Encore Kitchens' top suggestions for UK food delivery apps to consider in 2026.
Uber Eats
Uber Eats works with tens of thousands of restaurant partners across the UK, helping them reach an estimated 90% of the UK population through delivery, and spans more than 25 cuisine types – from big-name chains to fast-growing independents. It's also grown into a genuine grocery app, delivering from Waitrose, Asda, Sainsbury's, Co-op and Iceland, with Tesco joining nationwide in August 2026. Real-time tracking, easy reordering of past favourites, and the ability to schedule orders ahead of time round out the appeal for busy households.
Worth knowing if you've got teenagers: Eats for Teens, launched in 2026, lets 13–17 year-olds order independently from a parent-linked account, with spending limits and real-time order visibility built in for parents. And if you order regularly, Uber One (£4.99 a month or £49.99 a year) can be worth it – members get a £0 delivery fee on orders over £15 (food) or £25 (groceries), plus reduced service fees. In London, members can also access restaurant-booking benefits through Uber's partnership with OpenTable.
Just Eat
Just Eat remains one of the most recognised names in UK food delivery, with over 20,000 restaurants on the app, alongside major restaurant brands. Its loyalty rewards scheme and regular promotions make it a solid choice if you order the same handful of local spots often.
Just Eat has also started branching out beyond food: in August 2026 it launched a laundry and dry-cleaning service through a new partnership with Laundryheap, currently available in London with Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh to follow. The business behind the app was sold to a new owner in late 2025, though nothing about how the app works or who you can order from has changed as a result.
Deliveroo
Deliveroo is still the strongest all-rounder for restaurant choice in the UK. Beyond restaurant delivery, it now covers groceries from Waitrose, Sainsbury's, M&S and several other major retailers – for a lot of households, one app now covers dinner and a missing ingredient in the same order. DoorDash completed its acquisition of Deliveroo in October 2025, though it continues to operate under its own name and app for UK customers.
Deliveroo Plus offers free delivery and reduced service fees on eligible orders, with a Gold tier for more frequent orderers. Deliveroo Editions – its own network of dark kitchens, where restaurant brands cook meals specifically for delivery with no dine-in site attached – is one of the clearest examples of how delivery-only operations have become mainstream rather than a niche workaround.
HungryPanda
HungryPanda is one of the UK's leading specialist apps for Asian food, particularly Chinese cuisine, connecting diners with Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Thai restaurants, as well as Asian grocery suppliers. It's grown well beyond its Nottingham roots, now covering dozens of cities worldwide. Delivery fees vary by distance and demand, and the app regularly runs new-user and loyalty discounts.
It's also expanded into rapid local fulfilment: through a partnership with AliExpress, customers in Greater London can order household essentials, packaged food and drinks through the AliExpress app for same-day delivery – with HungryPanda's own couriers handling the fulfilment.
Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go is straightforward: pick a "Surprise Bag" of unsold food from a local restaurant, café or shop near closing time, and pay a fraction of what it would normally cost. That's the real draw for most people – good food at a fraction of the usual price. The fact that you're also rescuing food that would otherwise be binned is a genuine bonus, not the main pitch.
Its partner list now includes recognisable UK chains alongside independents – Greggs, Morrisons, Pret, Starbucks and Krispy Kreme among them – and it's expanded beyond in-store pickup with Too Good To Go Parcels, delivering surplus food directly from manufacturers and wholesalers to your door.
| App | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Uber Eats | Restaurants and groceries in one app | Available to an estimated 90% of the UK population; £0 delivery fee on eligible orders over £15 (food) or £25 (groceries) for Uber One members |
| Just Eat | Local takeaway variety | Over 20,000 UK restaurants, plus a new laundry/dry-cleaning service via Laundryheap |
| Deliveroo | Restaurant quality and groceries | Also delivers groceries from major supermarkets, not just restaurant food |
| HungryPanda | Asian cuisine specialists | A leading specialist app for Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Thai restaurants and Asian grocers |
| Too Good To Go | Cheap meals, cutting food waste | Surplus food from local restaurants and shops at a fraction of the price |
The Apps, at a Glance
Conclusion
As the food delivery market continues to evolve in the UK, these apps stand out for their unique offerings and commitment to customer satisfaction, user experience and food diversity. Whether you’re in the mood for a takeaway, a gourmet meal, or cost effective alternatives, there’s an app to cater to your needs.
At Encore Kitchens, we’re excited to see how these platforms enhance the food delivery experience and support the growth of our local partner businesses. Happy dining!
Frequently Asked Questions
-
It depends what you're ordering and where you live – Just Eat is particularly strong for local, independent takeaway variety, Deliveroo and Uber Eats both cover restaurants and supermarket groceries in one app, HungryPanda is best for Asian cuisine, and Too Good To Go is worth it if keeping costs down and cutting food waste are priorities.
-
Probably not – both subscriptions only pay off once you're ordering regularly enough that the monthly cost is less than what you'd otherwise spend on delivery and service fees. If you order once or twice a month, paying per order usually works out cheaper.
-
Yes – since August 2026, Just Eat also offers laundry and dry-cleaning through a partnership with Laundryheap, currently live in London with more UK cities to follow.
-
Yes – through a partnership with AliExpress, customers in Greater London can also get household essentials, packaged food and drinks delivered the same day, fulfilled by HungryPanda's own couriers.
-
Restaurants and shops list unsold food as a discounted "Surprise Bag" near closing time, and you collect it in person at a set time – it's a way to eat well cheaply while cutting food waste.
-
Some of the brands you'll come across are delivery-only – they cook from a kitchen built specifically for fulfilling app orders, with no dining room or storefront attached. Encore Kitchens is one of the UK operators providing this kind of space, letting food brands run a delivery-first operation across Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat.