This year was good for start ups in different spheres of business. Not surprisingly the ones that made the most noise and got noticed are in the business of food and deliveries. While most of them are plain app-based delivery ideas, some brought together home chefs, ‘cook and deliver’ was another option and some delivery ideas promoted the DIY (do it yourself) box concept. Here’s a look at the ones that made a difference.
Food kits or DIY box : In a departure from the regular idea of ordering in, a few decided to take things into their own hands by delivering food kits on order. These boxes assembled all ingredients required for a particular dish and gave instructions on the procedure.
The outcome: home cooked food that looked and tasted as per restaurants standards, minus the hassle of hours spent on grocery shopping and worry about whether the proportions and processes are right. Also the box prevents wastage of leftover ingredients. Because no one really sells two tablespoon of soya sauce and 2 tablespoon of olive oil, do they? What do these boxes do? These let first-timers in the kitchen prepare food like a pro, because all they have to do is open box, read and follow instructions. You only need to organise the kitchen utensils required, often just a stove, pan and spatula.
More in a kit: Scabetty, Ucocina and built2cook are doing wonders in bachelor pads. Built2cook and Ucocina are services that make even amateurs look like chefs in a matter of 40 minutes. Having spent many years and much money on good food at different places, Altaf Saiyed of Built2cook and Murali Maddula of Ucocina have come to the rescue of many who long to eat fresh, home cooked food and also have the satisfaction of preparing the dish. Scabetty run by two food lovers and sisters Aditi and Divya, Scabetty has taken gone beyond the main course and included lip smacking desserts to be assembled and relished at home. Homemade tiramisu anyone? Time to show off and say ‘I can cook like a pro.’
Plan for a sophisticated dinner with a tiramisu, a chocolate mousse or vanilla pannacota and see the old year roll over. Make a sweet beginning with the options given by the Scabetty sisters. The concept of food kit has taken off well and since they can be ordered on phone and online, the hit rate is high.
App-based deliveries: Download, choose, make adjustments, go to payment gateway and within minutes your choice of food is delivered. The number of people ordering at offices and homes has taken a leap with these apps, even allowing slight customising of the order. Faasos is making a splash with area-wise kitchens and flawless delivery. This app based delivery system delivers from a menu that includes piping hot tea.
The rest of the delivery apps are all about picking food from restaurants of your choice, depending on the locality you are in. The order can be monitored through GPS and the speed and accuracy they maintain will make you hit the ‘like’ button instantly.
The desi boys: Competing with bigger brands and names in the city are Hyderabad-based delivery services called BeHungry and The First Meal. While BeHungry is again a plain delivery option, The First Meal is a concept of health that made eating breakfast a must for those who begin their first meal with lunch. Yuvraj the founder says he sells a concept of health and wants to concentrate on applying the phrase ‘your breakfast should be like a king.’
The First Meal has options that range from healthy Indian breakfast options to a limited English breakfast. Their juices and salads seem to be in demand with his regulars.
