Looks like Restaurant Meal Kits are here to stay

Almost four months on from Ireland’s Covid-19 lockdown announcement and restaurants, hotels, cafes and pubs serving food have once again re-opened their doors to customers. 

Restaurant Meal Kits, one of the trends accelarated as a result of initial industry closures, looks like they are set to stick around, even as consumers begin to eat out once again.

Bujo (Burger Joint) in Sandymount was one of the first off the blocks, delivering branded boxes with all of the components needed to recreate their burgers at home (including their signature house sauce).  And detailed information, not only in terms of cooking instructions, but also in terms of how to recycle and/or compost the component packaging.

Just this week, Bujo have confirmed a number of new collection points where consumers living outside of the delivery catchment areas can pick up their Meal Kits – Castleknock, Malahide, Brittas Bay and Co. Wexford (catering for coastal stay-cationers).

Separately, Boojum Mexican Burrito chain have just announced they are commencing delivery of a Fajita Meal Kit, available to order via their dedicated Boojum at Home website. Cooking instructions are included, along with confirmation that “box and pouches are recyclable” and that the WoolCool ­material they use to keep product chilled, is ‘reusable, recyclable & compostable’. Delivery is in partnership with DPD and available to households across the island of Ireland.

Restaurant Meal Kits compete with supermarket Ready Meals and Recipe Box providers such as Drop Chef and Hello Fresh (UK).  Another example of the ever-blurring lines between Retail and Foodservice and one of the ten Key Trends called out in our Irish Foodservice Industry White Paper. 

From a supplier point of view, they offer potential opportunities in a newly created channel that many may not have explored to date.

For more information, contact maureen.gahan@bordbia.ie