OUT OF THE BOX

he subscription-box craze shows no signs of abating. Here, six top picks for the busy careerist.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

he subscription-box craze shows no signs of abating. Here, six top picks for the busy careerist.

My Reading Room
For Indecisive Bookworms
BOOKS ACTUALLY
(https://box.booksactually.com)

You want to read – something, anything – but don’t know what’s worth your time. Let homegrown bookshop Books Actually make the call for you. All you have to do is go to its website and pick a book curator – a Books Actually staff member – whose reading profile you like. He or she will then send you one great tome every month, along with a complementary gift – think whimsical, Instagrammable lovelies such as teas, handcrafted soaps and sprigs of flowers.

From $129 for a three-month subscription.

My Reading Room
For The Office Snacker
MADE REAL
(www.madereal.sg)

Rock salt vanilla granola, spicy tamari nuts, candied mangoes... your office snack stash just got a healthy upgrade. Co-founded by a certified nutritionist, Made Real customises healthy titbit boxes based on your fitness goals, exercise routine and dietary requirements (highlight any food allergies). All snacks are made with natural ingredients, and you can opt for either an individual box or one for you and your colleagues – simply specify the size of your team; a Team Balanced Box caters for up to 30 people.

A box for one costs $24.90 and comes with six types of snacks. Opt for delivery every week, every fortnight or every month.

My Reading Room
For Those Who Eat Lunch “Al Desko”
THE FOODIST
(www.thefoodist.com.sg)

Eating at your desk is sad. The Foodist makes it slightly more bearable by delivering gourmet two- or three-course meals from some of Singapore’s finest restaurants. Think mod-Peranakan fare from Michelin-starred Candlenut and fresh seafood dishes from Nude Seafood, which has a following among Marina Bay’s corporate warriors. Bonus: you may get dine-in vouchers and exclusive invites to restaurant events.

A single box costs between $15 and $30. A monthly subscription of four boxes costs $48.

My Reading Room
For Caffeine Fiends
HOOK COFFEE
(www.hookcoffee.com.sg)

Besides whole beans and ground coffee, we like conveniences such as drip coffee packets (just open and pour hot water over it) and shot pods (Nespressocompatible capsules) – have these at hand in your office cube for days when you need to put in some overtime. The beans are sourced globally, handroasted in Singapore, then packed and delivered within a week. The quirky flavours – think lemon meringue pie, and poached pears and dark chocolate sauce – ensure a cooler-than-usual cup of joe.

From $14 per bag. Delivery frequency ranges from once every four days to once a month.

My Reading Room
For Weekend Bakers
BATTERFUL
(www.batterful.com)

We like the Pinterest-worthy results of our Saturday baking experiments but not shopping for, and measuring out, ingredients. (And why does the neighbourhood grocery store always run out of castor sugar?) Batterful gives you everything you need in one box: a recipe card with a link to an online video guide, pre-portioned ingredients – saving you waste (it’ll take you months to finish using that bag of flour) – and basic equipment such as disposable moulds and muffin cups. It also offers a choice of no-bake recipes for those who don’t have an oven.

From $22.95 for a monthly subscription.

My Reading Room
For The Stressed-out Exec
WHISKY BUTLER
(www.whiskybutler.sg)

If happy hour is a thing at your workplace (start-ups and creative agencies, we’re looking at you), get this whisky taster box. You get to sample four different types every month – from Japanese whiskies to liquid gold from Cadenhead’s, one of the oldest independent bottlers in the world. If any of them hit the spot, you can purchase the full bottle through Whisky Butler at the member’s price (typically 20 per cent less than the retail price). Keep the shots all for yourself, or knock ’em back with other thirsty colleagues. Bottoms up!

A monthly subscription is $88.

For more cool subscription-box services, download the digital edition of Her World November from the Apple App Store or Google Play.