According to the online grocer, its Made by Farmdrop range is responding to a gap in the London market for convenient, prepared food and ready meals made with fully traceable ingredients.
“The Made by Farmdrop range sources high-quality seasonal ingredients directly from our very own supply chain – our community of sustainable farmers and food producers,” noted the company.
Indeed, approximately 70% of Farmdrop’s fruit and vegetables are sourced from the UK, said Made by Farmdrop project manager Grace Niblock.
The UK is Europe’s biggest ready meal market. According to Euromonitor data, British consumers spend £4.7bn each year on ready-to-eat, convenience meals.
“However, just 23% of fresh fruit and veg sold throughout the UK is grown in Britain. We wanted to bring more convenience and a healthy meal delivery alternative to our customers who lack the time to cook on a busy weekday night but still care about the provenance of their food.”
Made in London’s trendy Shoreditch district, the meals are prepared between 4pm and midnight, before being packed up with the rest of Farmdrop’s London-based orders, ready for delivery.
The range includes a seasonal menu for breakfasts, lunches, dinners and sides, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options available.
A 210g pot of apricots, yoghurt and granola (made with yoghurt from The Dorset Dairy Company) sells for £3.50, and a 345g single serve of coconut fish curry sells for £6.50.
Plastic-free
The Made by Farmdrop range is delivered in sustainable, plastic-free packaging. The company asks that its consumers reuse or recycle their glass jars and lids.
Alternatively, they can wash and return them in their next Farmdrop delivery.
Lunch and dinner products come in a compostable tray and inner lining for disposal in customers’ food waste bins, together with the compostable plastic-free film from the tray, and compostable sachets that contain dressings and sauces.
According to the company, the decision to use plastic-free packaging with completely recyclable and/or compostable materials came from a desire to create the ‘most sustainable ready meal ever’.
“We’re the first retailer to provide a 100% plastic-free option thanks to using reusable and recyclable glass jars (that you can return to your driver), compostable trays, and film made from biodegradable material rather than plastic,” noted Niblock.