Cape Town - After a long day at work the last thing many people want to do is spend their evenings chopping mountains of vegetables or slaving over the stove to make dinner.
At one time dinners were home-cooked, nutritious and eaten around a table, but in today’s fast-paced world with many distractions, more and more people are looking for quick fix solutions which often include unhealthy TV dinners and fast foods.
Luckily, there are other alternatives. A growing number of businesses offer pre-planned, pre-prepped meals conveniently delivered to your door.
Here are three companies that offer meticulously organised meal plans that cater for all taste buds.
U COOK
Cape Town
Started by five friends – Menno Brouwer, David Torr, Katherine Barry, Christopher Verster-Cohen and Klaudia Weixelbaumer – who met at a dinner party in Cape Town, U COOK is a subscription delivery service that offers perfectly portioned and packaged ingredients for meals that feed up to four people.
Each week sees nine new dishes on offer and the meals are divided into three categories: rustic, low-carb andvegetarian.
U COOK was conceived after Torr used meal delivery service HelloFresh abroad. “I was blown away by how naturally it synergised with my busy lifestyle,” he says.
“As with all businesses there is always inherent uphill. During the first few weeks it was absolute turmoil. Boxes were delivered with missing ingredients and our customer base grew far slower than we had hoped it would. That said, after months of refining and improving we are proud of the progress that we have made with a loyal customer base that grows every month and systems that help us deliver on our promise,” says Torr.
The team also includes websitedeveloper Daniel Blighnaut.
U COOK currently delivers in Cape Town for free and plans to expand to Joburg are in the pipeline. They are listed on
Their ingredients are sourced from a select group of specialised purveyors and local farms. “We have taken great care to find the best produce out there and buy only grass-fed free-range meats and source organic veg wherever possible,” says Weixelbaumer.
Their customers range between the ages of 27 and 35.
“Our customers range in age and demographic as we essentially aim to service anyone that enjoys cooking and wants to find a way to make the activity more accessible to them.”
U COOK offers the convenience of great meals, prepared in under 30 minutes, eliminating the hassles associated with the cooking process, saysWeixelbaumer.
“Every Monday we deliver your dinner kit to your door at no extra cost, all that’s left for you to do is cook and enjoy. And you have an option to pause your subscription,” explains Barry
“No more valuable hours spent in the supermarket. No more queuing or searching for that ever elusive parking space and no more decaying basil slowly moulding in the fridge,” addsWeixelbaumer.
Website: www.ucook.co.za
My Chef
Durban
As the name states, My Chef cooks meals for you so you don’t have to. Founded by Jenni Jackson, who also owns catering company, Blue Strawberry, the business offers a selection of weekly meals online and does deliveries on Tuesdays and Fridays to selected parts of Durban.
“Our customers vary from families to busy working people… most of them would rather spend their precious time doing other things than slaving over a hot stove. Our first few customers were pilots and friends who tried it out and then it grew via a networking channel… before it exploded,” says Jackson.
She has catered for several of the city’s most memorable events, including celebrations hosted by the Zulu royal family and at the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
“Catering is about making people happy through food. It is a blend of so many skills – organisation, co-ordination, planning, timing, team development and providing good food. I am inspired, enlivened and fascinated by food. It is definitely a love story,” says Jackson.
Her culinary romance began as a little girl growing up in Zimbabwe.
“I loved going to all the local events to pour teas with the ladies or to make sandwiches for the farmers’ meetings. I loved entertaining. I remember my mother and I inviting all the kiddies around for a teddy bears’ tea party with teeny-weenie sandwiches, mini cupcakes and other little goodies,” she recalls.
It took Jackson about two years to get My Chef off the ground, she says.
“This business has been tough. There are months that are so good you think you have won the Lotto and then there are times that are not so great. But I love it because it is different every day, I learn all the time.
“We are good at what we do, we believe in it and strive to be better and better.
“Our contribution to the industry is significant in Durban – mostly because of our experience. We try to make a difference in the lives of our team and community and endeavour to be as green as we can,” she adds.
* www.mychef.co.za
Calorie Conscious
Joburg
Some diet programmes require that you stick to a certain calorie count every day, but counting calories can be exhausting. Now there is a way to ensure you have the recommended daily calorie intake without having to scrutinise the label of every product you consume.
Joburg-based business Calorie Conscious does the counting for you and delivers your meals every day.
Managing director and trained chef Candice Robbertze left her day job in 2010 to start the business with her brother Clayton Robbertze. The siblings started out with a clinic at a gym in Fourways. They offered diet plans, gave lymph massages and colontherapy.
“We were training people and writing their diet plans. Then someone said: ‘You (Candice) are a chef by trade, please cook’. And so the word spread at the gym and more and more clients arrived,” says Robbertze.
They offer gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, wheat-free and calorie-conscious, ready-to-eat balanced meals.
Clients can order meals online or request that a consultant visit their home to assess their weight, Body Mass Index, Basal Metabolic Rate, go through their medical history and then discuss a 10 to 14 day detoxprogramme.
“We have three bakeries on site and we do not produce anything with wheat in our kitchen. Our bakeries are gluten free, wheat free and low carb, says Robbertze.
Their programmes include a Lean and Mean option for gym goers, Banting and a Calorie Conscious programme.
“We have a variety of clients, including retailers as well as corporate clients.
“We cater for the person who likes the convenience of having healthy meals delivered to their home.”
* www.calorieconscious.co.za
Cape Argus