Good Housekeeping UK launches next-gen recipe app powered by Pugpig
Good Housekeeping UK has launched a new, free recipe app aimed at modernising how audiences discover and save meals — and it’s a noteworthy development for media brands exploring product innovation, habit-building, and utility-led content experiences.
Built in partnership with Pugpig and the product agency Fueled, the Good Housekeeping Kitchen app brings together more than 4,000 of the brand’s triple-tested recipes and wraps them inside a swipe-based interface inspired by dating apps. The approach leans into intuitive decision-making at a moment when audiences are demanding simplicity, speed, and personalisation.
The app opens with an Inspire Me mode, where users swipe left or right on recipe cards — a mechanic designed to cut down on “What should I cook tonight?” fatigue. Favourited recipes automatically populate into customisable folders, offering a lightweight organisational tool that mirrors broader trends in media personalisation and user-driven curation.
Beyond discovery, the app also includes smart search, cook-along functionality, and rotating curated collections, including contributions from high-profile chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Mary Berry. Seasonal updates aim to keep the experience fresh and habit-forming, a growing priority for publishers experimenting with app-first content strategies.
For Good Housekeeping, the move reflects both audience demand and brand heritage. “Recipes have long been one of the first ways that people discover Good Housekeeping, so we’re thrilled to launch this new, free app and share our iconic triple-tested recipes with a new generation of home cooks,” said Liz Settle, MD of Good Housekeeping / Good Housekeeping Institute.
For Pugpig, which powers apps for titles including Women’s Health UK, Runner’s World UK and The Independent, the project signals a push towards deeper value exchange in publisher apps.
Jean Kemp, Customer Director at Pugpig, said: “Good Housekeeping Kitchen shows how a recipe app can move past just content and deliver genuine value, exactly the kind of user experience Hearst is leaning into. It’s been a fantastic collaboration with Good Housekeeping and Fueled, and we’re excited to support the next phase as the app builds habits, personalisation and optional paid value.”
For media professionals, the launch highlights a few key sector trends:
- Utility is becoming the new premium content. Publishers are increasingly turning to tools, apps, and interactive elements as differentiators beyond evergreen editorial.
- Swiping and simplified UX are moving beyond dating apps, offering an immediate, low-friction way to surface content and generate data on real audience preferences.
- Personalisation and habit-building are central to long-term engagement — especially for lifestyle titles with deep archives and strong brand trust.
- Optional paid features are being built in from the start, allowing publishers to evolve products into revenue drivers without sacrificing reach at launch.
The Good Housekeeping Kitchen app is available now on iOS and Android.
