GoFoodie launched to the public at the Hull Business Expo in Princes Quay Shopping Centre on Wednesday 10 April.
GoFoodie is an app dedicated to home cooks selling authentic, healthy, homemade takeaway food using fresh ingredients, delivered to customers’ doorsteps. The company is an alternative food delivery service enabling customers to pre-order from local, FSA hygiene-rated and local authority-registered-and-approved, home cooks’ kitchens.
Working in the NHS, Founder and CEO Dr Abdul Razack has seen firsthand just how a healthy diet impacts people’s health. His wife is a great cook of Indian food and their friends used to comment that she should go into business. And so, the idea of GoFoodie was born. Established in September 2023, to host Pavi’s Kitchen, the first home cook on the app, Abdul wanted to see if there was any distance in the idea.
Abdul said: “It was a conscious decision to start small, to see if the business model was viable, and it was also important that GoFoodie should be credible, legal and legitimate.”
Before a home cook can join the app, they must obtain their Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene certificate, register their business with their local authority and receive at least a 4-star food hygiene rating.
To that end, the GoFoodie team has taken time to work closely with both Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire Environmental Officers to establish best practices. Both local authorities have been extremely supportive and share the company’s enthusiasm to encourage entrepreneurship and develop new job opportunities in the area.
All cooks have full autonomy over their brand, menus, prices and days of operation, with GoFoodie providing the platform to promote and sell their products. GoFoodie does, however, recommend that kitchens use a pre-order and payment system. This assists cooks with planning because they know the number of meals to prepare and reduces the likelihood of food waste. Being as sustainable as possible is a strong value for the company, and extends to the packaging used to deliver the food.
Starting any business can be a daunting prospect with a significant initial investment. For cooks joining GoFoodie, this is eradicated. It’s free to join the platform and the team explains what is required and supports cooks as they register and get started. The monthly subscription and a commission from sales only begins from the fourth month of trading – again, a conscious decision from the GoFoodie team to encourage cooks wondering about starting the business to be bold and take that first step.
“We cannot fully eliminate all costs, but we want to support the cooks and reduce costs where we are able,” explains Christine Bettinson, Operations Manager. “There will possibly be initial costs of buying equipment needed to scale the dishes and meet the hygiene regulations – simple things like separate chopping boards and knives for vegetables and meat, for example, and the initial outlay for ingredients for the first day of operation.”
When asked what food the home cooks can sell on the app, Mike White, Merchant Manager, clarified: “Any, really! Currently, GoFoodie has home cooks providing Indian food, fitness food, salads, and sweet treats, but any food from bakes and pastries to hot meals is welcome on the app.”
“I first questioned whether sweet options are healthy,” laughs Christine Bettinson, “but Abdul justified it as: anything that is homemade using fresh ingredients is healthier than shop-bought products that are mass-produced and often full of preservatives.”
GoFoodie is now looking to partner with a number of community kitchens to provide a solution for those unable to cook from home due to landlord agreements/mortgage covenants. The company confirms this is still in line with their concept because the cooks are cooking using fresh ingredients and delivering directly to customers.
“Participating at Hull Business Expo was the perfect opportunity for us to launch GoFoodie to the public, and hopefully spur on some new cooks to take that first step,” concluded Abdul Razack.