Waitrose has acquired Dishpatch, the meal-kit delivery service that provides “restaurant-quality home dining” in collaboration with leading chefs.
Founded in 2020, Dishpatch claims to enable consumers to replicate the restaurant experience at home by offering chef-designed dishes from the likes of Angela Hartnett, Michel Roux Jr, Rick Stein, and Sabrina Ghayour.
The service offers 40 menus, with food and wine delivered on Friday so consumers can have an “indulgent weekend meal”. The retailer noted that the difference between Dishpatch and other meal kit providers is that all dishes come pre-prepared with only a few steps to finish and serve.
Waitrose stated that the acquisition aligns with its ambition to be the “trusted home for food lovers”.
James Bailey, the chain’s Executive Director, commented: “Waitrose sees significant opportunities for Dishpatch, which works with some of Britain’s most respected chefs and restaurants.
“We have shared values in serving our customers the best quality food and we’re looking forward to working together. While our immediate focus will be helping Dishpatch grow its core meal kit business, we are also looking forward to working with the team to bring further new and exciting food experiences to Waitrose customers.”
Peter Butler, Founder and CEO of Dishpatch, added: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Waitrose, whose reputation has been built on the quality of their food. With such aligned values, we’re excited to bring our meal kits to a wider audience and exploring new opportunities beyond that.”
Butler will continue to lead Dishpatch in his current role.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
NAM Implications:
- One step nearer to the consumer…
- …while leaving ‘finishing’ for the user.
- A compelling offering, especially for busy consumers.
- And scalability within the category.
- A no-brainer…
