diff --git a/softpack_core/service.py b/softpack_core/service.py
index d2e079c..0d0876a 100644
--- a/softpack_core/service.py
+++ b/softpack_core/service.py
@@ -319,3 +319,19 @@ async def remove_recipe(  # type: ignore[no-untyped-def]
             return {"error": e}
 
         return {"message": "Request Removed"}
+
+    @staticmethod
+    @router.post("/getRecipeDescription")
+    async def recipe_description(  # type: ignore[no-untyped-def]
+        request: Request,
+    ):
+        """Return the description for a recipe."""
+        data = await request.json()
+
+        if (
+            not isinstance(data["recipe"], str)
+            or data["recipe"] not in app.spack.descriptions
+        ):
+            return {"error": "Invalid Input"}
+
+        return {"description": app.spack.descriptions[data["recipe"]]}
diff --git a/softpack_core/spack.py b/softpack_core/spack.py
index be72f15..d10bd43 100644
--- a/softpack_core/spack.py
+++ b/softpack_core/spack.py
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
 """
 
-import json
 import subprocess
 import tempfile
 import threading
 from dataclasses import dataclass
+from html.parser import HTMLParser
 from os import path
 from typing import Tuple
 
@@ -27,6 +27,54 @@ class Package(PackageBase):
     versions: list[str]
 
 
+class SpackHTMLParser(HTMLParser):
+    """Class to parse HTML output from `spack list --format=html`."""
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        """Init class."""
+        super().__init__()
+
+        self.onDT = False
+        self.onDD = True
+        self.nextIsVersion = False
+        self.nextIsDescription = False
+        self.recipe = ""
+
+        self.versions: list[Package] = list()
+        self.descriptions: dict[str, str] = dict()
+
+    def handle_starttag(self, tag: str, attrs: list[tuple[str, str | None]]) -> None:
+        """Handle open tags."""
+        if tag == "div":
+            self.recipe = next(
+                attr[1] for attr in attrs if attr[0] == "id" and isinstance(attr[1], str)
+            )
+        elif tag == "dt":
+            self.onDT = True
+        elif tag == "dd":
+            self.onDD = True
+
+    def handle_data(self, data: str) -> None:
+        """Handle data."""
+        if self.onDT:
+            self.onDT = False
+            self.nextIsVersion = data == "Versions:"
+            self.nextIsDescription = data == "Description:"
+        elif self.onDD:
+            self.onDD = False
+
+            if self.nextIsVersion:
+                self.nextIsVersion = False
+                self.versions.append(
+                    Package(
+                        name=self.recipe, versions=data.strip().split(", ")
+                    )
+                )
+            elif self.nextIsDescription:
+                self.nextIsDescription = False
+                self.descriptions[self.recipe] = data.strip()
+
+
 class Spack:
     """Spack interface class."""
 
@@ -40,6 +88,7 @@ def __init__(
     ) -> None:
         """Constructor."""
         self.stored_packages: list[Package] = []
+        self.descriptions: dict[str, str] = dict()
         self.checkout_path = ""
         self.spack_exe = spack_exe
         self.cacheDir = cache
@@ -81,24 +130,19 @@ def store_packages_from_spack(
             spack_exe (str): Path to the spack executable.
             checkout_path (str): Path to the cloned custom spack repo.
         """
-        jsonData, didReadFromCache = self.__readPackagesFromCacheOnce()
+        htmlData, didReadFromCache = self.__readPackagesFromCacheOnce()
 
         if not didReadFromCache:
-            jsonData = self.__getPackagesFromSpack(spack_exe, checkout_path)
-
-            self.__writeToCache(jsonData)
-
-        self.stored_packages = list(
-            map(
-                lambda package: Package(
-                    name=package.get("name"),
-                    versions=[
-                        str(ver) for ver in list(package.get("versions"))
-                    ],
-                ),
-                json.loads(jsonData),
-            )
-        )
+            htmlData = self.__getPackagesFromSpack(spack_exe, checkout_path)
+
+            self.__writeToCache(htmlData)
+
+        shp = SpackHTMLParser()
+
+        shp.feed(htmlData.decode("utf-8"))
+
+        self.stored_packages = shp.versions
+        self.descriptions = shp.descriptions
         self.packagesUpdated = True
 
     def __readPackagesFromCacheOnce(self) -> Tuple[bytes, bool]:
@@ -156,7 +200,7 @@ def __getPackagesFromSpack(
     ) -> bytes:
         if checkout_path == "":
             result = subprocess.run(
-                [spack_exe, "list", "--format", "version_json"],
+                [spack_exe, "list", "--format", "html"],
                 capture_output=True,
             )
 
@@ -169,7 +213,7 @@ def __getPackagesFromSpack(
                 "repos:[" + checkout_path + "]",
                 "list",
                 "--format",
-                "version_json",
+                "html",
             ],
             capture_output=True,
         )
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_recipe_requests.py b/tests/integration/test_recipe_requests.py
index e7f52a7..909b223 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_recipe_requests.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_recipe_requests.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
 """
 
+import pytest
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
 
 from softpack_core.app import app
@@ -15,6 +16,8 @@
 )
 from tests.integration.utils import builder_called_correctly
 
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.repo
+
 
 def test_request_recipe(httpx_post, testable_env_input):
     client = TestClient(app.router)
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_spack.py b/tests/integration/test_spack.py
index 299a4a6..96b3893 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_spack.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_spack.py
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ def test_spack_packages():
 
     assert len(packages[0].versions) != 0
 
+    assert (
+        spack.descriptions.get("jq")
+        == "jq is a lightweight and flexible command-line JSON processor."
+    )
+
     if app.settings.spack.repo == "https://github.com/custom-spack/repo":
         assert len(packages) == len(pkgs)
     else:
@@ -68,7 +73,7 @@ def test_spack_package_updater():
 
     spack.custom_repo = app.settings.spack.repo
 
-    timeout = time.time() + 60 * 2
+    timeout = time.time() + 60 * 3
 
     while True:
         new_pkgs = spack.stored_packages