Distribution: Meals

Ready to eat meals lie at the opposite end of the spectrum from “Groceries” and encompass everything from a freshly baked croissant for breakfast, via meals-on-wheels and take-away deliveries to bespoke gourmet dining at home.

This section discusses:

Existing Provision

What

Meals delivered to our homes today are generally in one of the following categories:

A further category that gets close to doorstep delivery is that of the Fish & Chip Van - and its close relatives the burger-van, kebab van etc.

How

”Meals on wheels” have traditionally been delivered by volunteers to keep the delivery costs down and allow the service to continue. Rising fuel costs certainly make this more and more difficult to sustain.

Fast-food deliveries on the other hand are growing in popularity. Deliveries are often made by motorbike or scooter as well as cars - most of which have seen much better days. The delivery staff are often part-timers making a few pounds of an evening. Many such drivers look barely old enough to drive and one would question their skill behind the wheel. Promises such as “if it's not there in an hour it's on the house!” may not be helping road safety. Unfortunately, for those of us more than a very few miles out of town, few, if any delivery services can afford the time and fuel to reach our neighbourhoods.

The custom cooked meal made to order is beyond the reach of most of us. Unlike the barely insulated pizza box which, if you're lucky is still warm inside its thermal bag on delivery, these operations know how to keep food at just the right temperature en route and may even finish cooking it in the back of their specially kitted out van.

Volume and Frequency

For those who cannot cook for themselves, a daily hot meal from meals on wheels is not only close to a necessity, it also brings some much needed contact with the world outside their house.

For most of the rest of us, a takeaway delivery every week or two makes a pleasant change from cooking for oneself.

Financial Model

Meals on wheels are on an extremely tight budget as there is always a desire to expand the service to help more people as long as a basic level of quality, quantity and variety has been achieved. The amount to be paid by the recipient (or whoever is funding the meals for them) varies.

Take-away delivery services normally include delivery in their basic price - but may impose a minimum order figure. There's often an additional tip to the delivery person to factor in.

Having someone else cook to order for you is very expensive as they typically travel with the food and are entirely focused on your requirements hence you are paying for the whole of their time for an evening.

Providers

Meals on wheels are provided by local councils but may be delivered by volunteers.

Only a small proportion of restaurants and take-aways offer home delivery services. Unless a steady stream of deliveries is needed, it is difficult to justify employing the team of people needed to provide seven day a week cover.

Trends

Take-away deliveries have grown in popularity in the UK over the last few years but may struggle to cope with ever increasing fuel costs.

With Localnet

What

If a transport infrastructure with temperature controlled vans and DeliveryPoints is in place anyway and passing most houses several times a day, it is a small step to support the distribution of meals within a neighbourhood. These would include:

How

Each LocalHub already needs a kitchen area - for the coffee-shop and to run the “Cook it Yourself” service during the day. In the evenings primarily (though at lunchtime too for “meals on wheels”) this area can be used by several chefs to prepare meals to order.

Meals can be pre-ordered as far in advance as chefs are prepared to advertise their availability.

If orders are coordinated across those working in the LocalHub, a van can take a fairly direct route of an evening to deliver three pizzas, two Indian meals and a couple of hot-pots around the area. The vans can keep food hot in transit and some residents may also have delivery hatches with warming oven capability.

Not all types of food travel well so there will be some limits on what is offered - and some may need to be sent in returnable containers.

Volume and Frequency

If a wide variety of food at reasonable prices can be offered then many residents will take this up at least weekly and potentially much more frequently.

Financial Model

Residents ordering meals, see the price as they browse the available dishes. They don't need to find cash for the delivery man as billing is all through their localnet account. Tipping becomes debatable.

The providers of the meals should pay the localnet a fixed amount per delivery. This can be added to the cost of any ingredients they purchase through the LocalHub and netted off against the takings for the meals. This all happens seamlessly within the residents' monthly localnet bills - thus relieving the chefs of any issues around billing, collecting and banking cash or VAT. This makes it much simpler for someone who can cook to start offering a meal delivery service through a LocalHub.

Without the overheads of having to have their own premises, delivery staff or order handling, those who prepare meals in the LocalHub should be able to offer their meals at very competitive prices. This can be further encouraged by the LocalHub providing them with ingredients at wholesale prices. Since the “Cook it Yourself” service means there will be catering size packs of most ingredients open anyway, this makes a lot of sense.

Providers

The existing restaurants and take-aways within a LocalHub's catchment area will be the first to provide this service but as it is now much easier to start up a service many new providers are expected to do so.

Evolution

As it is easy to indicate to everyone in the neighbourhood when you are able to produce food and which dishes you have already to hand or can make to order, so it becomes much easier for anyone with the necessary culinary skills to start offering their cuisine throughout their neighbourhood.

A thriving LocalHub might have several “workstations” in its kitchens which it rents out by the shift to local cooks - who may be anything from a Michelin starred chef to a local resident who does a mean hot-pot once a fortnight. These people can advertise when they will be on duty, which dishes they will be offering and take orders up to and including the shift they are on.

 

Comparison

The table below assesses the impact of localnet on this service on a scale of -5 to +5 (details here)

  Existing services As part of localnet Score
Scope Limited range of meals even within towns. Much wider variety throughout every LocalHub. +3
Frequency Limited range limits use to weekly or so. Wider range encourages more use. +2
Security Delivery staff handling cash at night can be vulnerable. No cash changing hands. +!
Convenience Each supplier has different phone number or website. All locally available options on localnet touchpad. +1
Cost Delivery cost has to be passed to customers somehow. Lower overheads, especially delivery cost. +2
Quality Variable - both cooking and delivery. Easy to implement feedback mechanisms within localnet. Delivery in heated compartments. +2
Carbon Footprint Delivering each meal on separate journey. Consolidating deliveries across all meal providers ensures more shared journeys. +2
Time Can be slow to order and slow to deliver. Ordering more automated, can be done further in advance. +1
Resources Used Wears out dedicated delivery vehicles. Shared journeys. Will pick up other items on return leg. +2
Reuse & Recycling Outlets with low volumes will waste packaging by buying in smaller quantities or waste food by buying more and not using in time. Shared ingredient stores make it viable to cook smaller quantities without these overheads. +3
Landfill Waste As above. As above. +3
Other Differentiators Allows any good cook to make a living in her own neighbourhood - without having to be a business man or raise enough money to open a High Street outlet. +4

Services