This Papa Earth Reviews post contains affiliate links and we were given a sample. We may be compensated if you make a purchase. All opinions are our own.
Written By Alison Chew | Dietitian Verified by Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN
Papa Earth is a meat delivery service that provides quality products from locally sourced farms right to your door.
All Papa Earth’s suppliers are located in Ontario and they are chosen because they maintain ethical and humane farming practices which mean free-range or free-run.
They offer a subscription service that can easily be put on hold or canceled. Papa Earth makes it so convenient to have delicious quality meat or fish any time you want!
Papa Earth is available on a subscription basis. The boxes come in small, medium, or large and you can choose the frequency of your delivery. They offer every 2, 3, 4 and 6 weeks for delivery.
There is a very large selection of meat and fish to choose from to include in your order. Each box is assigned a number of ‘coins’, (e.g. a small box is worth 45 coins). Each product is also assigned a coin amount.
To fill up your box, you select products until the total coin worth adds up to the total for the box. Products range from a coin value of 5 – 45. See below for an example of how many coins various seafood options are worth. SHOP NOW >>
Curated boxes are also available for one-time deliveries. There’s no subscription or commitment involved, which is a great way to try out Papa Earth or to give as a gift to friends and family.
The curated boxes come in a variety of options and prices range from $75 – $465. The mixed meat or seafood boxes would be great options as a way to sample what Papa Earth has to offer. SHOP NOW >>
Gift cards are also available in $125, $149, and $249 denominations. SHOP NOW >>
Bulk ordering is a great way to save on meat if you have freezer space! Papa Earth offers bulk ordering starting at $1250. With bulk ordering, you can build your own box and fill it full of meat, 10lbs per product, at a discounted price
Delivery is free in South Western Ontario, GTA, Ottawa, and 401 corridors. Outside of these areas, they can still deliver but might have to add a delivery fee.
Discount codes are not valid for bulk orders. SHOP NOW >>
Papa Earth delivers to anywhere in Canada where large delivery services are available, such as FedEx and UPS.
Shipping is free anywhere in Ontario and Quebec. If you live in any other province, here are the delivery fees:
Orders are typically shipped 2 – 3 days after being placed. If you’re not home when your box is delivered, not a problem! The box is shipped in an insulated recyclable box and contains dry ice to keep your products frozen for up to 24 hours. SHOP NOW >>
We were very excited to try products from Papa Earth. The products are naturally raised by family farmers who pledge not to use pesticides, herbicides, or antibiotics of any kind. In addition, all of the products are flash-frozen when they are at their freshest, so you receive the freshest products every time.
When you go onto the Papa Earth website, you’ll see that they have a very large selection of meats and fish to choose from. The ease of ordering and delivery is also a real bonus. The company ships its products in boxes which are 100% recyclable, which also makes us really happy!
For our Papa Earth review, we received a blade roast, stewing beef, boneless chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs, wild-caught Atlantic haddock fillets, and bacon. The products were shipped in a small recyclable box and were all in vacuum-sealed packages. The dry ice included in the box kept the meats and fish frozen.
We put our meat into the refrigerator upon delivery. Papa Earth recommends defrosting meat in the fridge or in a bowl of cold water if you’re pressed for time. If the vacuum-sealed packaging is still intact, the meat will have a fridge shelf life of up to 2 weeks. This is a great feature, as you can store the meat in the fridge without having to have all of your meals planned out. Once the seal is broken on your meats, you should consume it within 5 days for cuts or sausages and within 3 days for ground meat.
For even longer storage, you can store the meats in the freezer, in their vacuum sealed packaging, for up to 1 year.
Keep reading for more information about each product we received. SHOP NOW >>
Blade Roasts are a relatively inexpensive cut that is moist and tender when slow-cooked. This roast was dry-aged for 28 days for optimal tenderness and flavour. The roast we received was 2.5 lbs with lots of marbling throughout. It was the perfect size for our 4 qt slow cooker.
We slow cooked the roast in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. We wanted the true flavour of the meat to shine through, so we only added some barbacoa seasoning, chopped onion, and a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. SHOP NOW >>
Once the meat was cooked, we shredded it with two forks, which was extremely easy to do! The meat was so tender it fell apart effortlessly. We served the shredded roast on top of a tortilla and topped it with some homemade pickled onions and sour cream.
My oh my! This roast was the true winner of the entire box. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is one of the best slow-cooked roasts we have ever tasted! It was tender. It melted in your mouth. It had a wonderful beefy flavour. The only complaint would be is that it didn’t last longer! Hands down, this roast is a superior product.
The blade roasts are 15 coins and most of them come in 2.5 lbs.
We received a 1lb pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs. There were 6 thighs in the package. These free-range chicken thighs were a good size and full of juicy dark meat and would be great pan seared, baked in the oven, or grilled on the BBQ.
We lightly coated the thighs with olive oil and then seasoned them with salt, pepper, and tandoori spices. We cooked the thighs in a pan over medium-high heat for 6 minutes per side. The thighs cooked up really well and were a lovely golden colour on the outside. SHOP NOW >>
These chicken thighs were exceptionally good. The meat was tender and extremely flavourful. The thighs kept their shape and didn’t shrink which shows that they aren’t pumped full of water like some other brands.
The boneless skinless chicken thighs are 5 coins. SHOP NOW >>
The stew beef arrived cut into cubes and vacuum-sealed in a 1lb package. Although stew beef is typically a cheaper cut of meat, it lends itself well to being slow-cooked in stews, curries, and chilis.
We thought the stew beef would make an excellent base for chili and we weren’t wrong! We cooked the stew beef in a slow cooker, along with some beans, tomatoes, and chili seasoning, on high for 4 hours. We let the chili rest for an additional hour to really let the flavours mingle. SHOP NOW >>
When we tucked into the chili, we found that the beef was meltingly tender. Very soft and easy to chew, unlike some other stew meats that can be tough and stringy. The beef also had a great beef flavour which wasn’t overpowered by the chili seasoning.
The stew beef is 5 coins. SHOP NOW >>
The pork bacon comes in a vacuum-sealed 1 lb pack. The pork is vegetarian-fed and free from animal by-products. The bacon is sugar-free and has a nicely marbled appearance. It is also raised without the use of antibiotics and free from added hormones.
We prepared the bacon, traditionally, in a pan on the stovetop. We started with a cold pan, laying the bacon in a single row and allowing it to cook gently over low heat. Once the bacon started to curl and pucker, (about 5 minutes), we flipped it over for an additional 3 minutes of cooking. SHOP NOW >>
The bacon perfectly rounded out our breakfast of omelets and toast. It wasn’t too fatty, and it was crisp without being dry. It had a great smoky taste and wasn’t overly salty. Similar to the fish, we were impressed that the bacon didn’t shrink considerably when cooked. This is a good sign that the bacon isn’t full of water and other fillers.
We received one 1lb pack of bacon. The bacon is 5 coins. SHOP NOW >>
We received 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts. Papa Earth’s chicken is raised without antibiotics, grain-fed, 100% air chilled, and hand-trimmed. The breasts were a good size and did not dry out when cooking.
We decided to marinate the chicken breasts before serving. We cut the breasts into large cubes and added them to a marinade made up of yogurt, garlic, saffron, turmeric, and salt. We let the chicken hang out in the marinade for 4 hours before we baked it in a 400F oven. We served our fragrant juicy chicken pieces with a fresh spinach and tomato salad. SHOP NOW >>
The chicken was tender and juicy and not at all dry as can often happen when cooking boneless chicken breasts. These chicken breasts would also be a good option to use in curries and stews.
The chicken breasts were both 7 – 9 oz and are 5 coins. SHOP NOW >>
The haddock is wild-caught from the Atlantic and comes frozen in packages of 2. There are 4 pieces total in each bag. The fish is a firm and flaky fish, which holds up well in sauces and stews.
We went simple with our preparation of the haddock. We drizzled a small amount of olive oil over the fillet and seasoned it lightly with pepper and Old Bay seasoning. We pan seared the fillet in a dry pan for 4 minutes per side and then took it off the heat to let it continue cooking. The fish held together really well during the cooking process. SHOP NOW >>
The haddock was firm and had a clean, fresh flavour. We loved that it didn’t shrink when cooked, as so many frozen fillets from grocery stores do. Overall, the Haddock was a great success.
We received two 1lb packs of haddock fillets. The haddock fillets are 15 coins. SHOP NOW >>
Papa Earth is a meat and seafood delivery service that sources local, farm-raised meats and offers quality products for reasonable prices. All of the meats we tried were of amazing quality and without a doubt, tasted better than those typically found at the grocery store.
The large selection of meats, fish, and seafood to choose from is fantastic and will keep you coming back to try new things. All of the meat and fish we received had outstanding flavour and was very easy to cook with minimal fuss. The best part is that the subscription and curated non-subscription options make it so easy to have high-quality meat delivered directly you your home.
If you live in Ontario or Quebec, shipping is free; however, shipping costs outside of these areas can be high. You might also find that the prices are a bit higher than you would typically pay at the grocery store, but the quality and flavour of the meat far outweigh the lower price offered by cheaper meats. You will have to source your own cooking instructions or recipes, as Papa Earth doesn’t include either in the box. They do have a couple of recipes online that you can try.
Overall, we thought that Papa Earth was a great meat delivery service. If you’re looking for excellent quality meat that is ethically raised and free from hormones or antibiotics, then this is the service for you. Try a curated box or sign up for a full subscription to begin enjoying Papa Earth today! SHOP NOW >>
Want to explore more Canadian meat and seafood delivery services? Check out our Meat Directory and Seafood Directory >>
This post has been reviewed and approved by our dietitian Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN, LDN for nutritional accuracy. | |
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Rebecca Housh is a registered dietitian based in Chicago, IL. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology from Boston University and a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Rebecca is passionate about the idea of food as medicine in both preventative and therapeutic care. Her current professional interests lie in food security, food access, and nutrition for chronic disease. |