Stashcook… so my husband made me an app

Hi, my name’s Sarah, I’m a teacher, I’m 33 years old and 4 years ago I quit my job to go travelling with my boyfriend - very cliché I know! Stay with me, because this is where Stashcook began.

TL;DR

Stashcook is a recipe management and meal planning app that prides itself on simplicity and efficiency. The latest feature in the app uses AI to help you “Stash” recipes from ANY image. Simply snap or screenshot, then let the app do the hard work. You can also save recipes from ANY website; there are many more handy tools to ease the culinary process. If speed and simplicity are what you’re after, then Stashcook is the one for you… the app can be downloaded either on Google Play or iOS.

I was having a bit of a tough time with a new job that I wasn’t particularly enjoying and was making me very unhappy when Roy asked what I wanted to do with my life. Now I’m not a very philosophical person and hadn’t really given such questions much thought, but I had always wanted to go to Australia. It was at this point that I decided to leave my current job and start planning the trip of a lifetime…. New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and Indonesia (I would highly recommend Gili Trawangan for anyone looking for some travel inspo). Thankfully Roy was a bit more level headed and arranged a sabbatical so that at least one of us had a job for when we returned. But it was on an island in Bali where the idea for Stashcook was born (see Roy’s version for the origin story).

Now I said earlier that I’d never really known what I wanted to do with my life, but Roy has ALWAYS known. Since the day I met him, Roy has always hinted at the prospect of making something from scratch. Making something people want to use. Making a solid and dependable product. And using his knowledge of software to help him achieve this goal. So when the idea for a recipe management app evolved, he fully took the bull by the horns and started sketching out ideas then and there on the beach (that is when he wasn’t drinking rum or swimming after turtles). When we returned from our travels, Roy decided to quit his job and throw himself headfirst into this exciting new project. Now it was my turn to be the sensible one, so I secured another teaching position. But then the unthinkable happened… Covid-19.

A pandemic?! Social distancing?! All these new terms, new rules, new worries that were thrown onto us - hands up if you thought the world was going to end (ok maybe you weren’t all as crazy as me). But seriously, it was a weird time to live through. Now I have the same memories as everyone else… being gripped by updates from Boris Johnson (“next slide please” always lightened the mood), the ridiculous amount of banana bread, the constant flux between trying to be healthy but not having any social norms to follow so drinking FAR too much most days, and not to forget the never ending homemade quizzes with family and friends alike. But it was also the most interesting time for Stashcook, as Roy and I spent hours, and I mean hours, planning out ideas for what users might want in a cooking app, analysing how to make it more efficient and thinking about the branding. What else were we meant to do with all that time in isolation?

Well in that time we actually did end up getting married. We planned a wedding in 4 weeks, only to have it banned 2 days before (yes that time when only 6 people were allowed to be present at a wedding). Then we rescheduled and had a massive New Year’s Eve party instead. So long story short that’s how Roy became my husband. Oh, and we got a handful of a dog called Atlee.

So in between all of these life events, Roy and I were constantly working on Stashcook. Whether it be testing new features, asking friends and family to trial the app, arguing about what colour schemes to use (yes, we do disagree from time to time) or planning how to make Stashcook even more simple and efficient. You may be thinking, what do I know, I have no technical background… which I certainly don’t, and I still don’t understand how “code” works. But I’ve learnt so much. Who would have thought that a primary school teacher would understand terms such as “UI”, “UX” or “front-end/back-end”. Me being part of the project really was so that Roy could have a sounding board, but I guess it helps that I love cooking so was extremely interested in finding ways to make planning meals and cooking as simple as it could possibly be.

As life has returned back to normal, so have my working habits. I’m back teaching, thankfully, now in a brilliant school. But I still love coming home and discussing new updates on Stashcook. It’s been a long work in progress - I didn’t quite appreciate how much time building a decent app takes - but Stashcook is finally in a reputable position. Here are some of the best features (in my opinion):

✅ Saving recipes from ANY website or picture

✅ Cutting out all the jargon (ads, comments)

✅ Every recipe is presented in the same simple, clear format

✅ Personalised collections help to organise all my recipes

✅ Changing the serving size, which adjusts the ingredient quantities

✅ Lock screen stops your phone from turning off when you’re in the middle of cooking

✅ Planner helps me to map out what we’re going to have each day and, in turn, helps us reduce waste

✅ Shopping list so I don’t forget anything or have to write it all down on paper

Now I know I’m incredibly biased because he’s my husband, but Roy really has made the best recipe management and meal planning app out there. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the reviews yourself, or even better still, download Stashcook on Android or IOS. We’re always looking for ways to improve Stashcook, so please feel free to drop us a line if you have any ideas for how to make it even better: hello@stashcook.com

I hope you love the app as much as I do!

So this is our story… how we’ve gone from girlfriend to wife, boyfriend to husband, from an idea on the beach to an app on the App Store.