Waitrose has acquired meal-kit delivery service Dishpatch, building on the upmarket retailer’s ambition to be the “trusted home for food lovers”.
The firm, which was founded in 2020, delivers pre-prepared meals which look to replicate a restaurant experience, with chef-designed dishes from the likes of Angela Hartnett, Michel Roux Jr, Rick Stein, and Sabrina Ghayour.
Customers can choose from over 40 menus, with food and wine delivered nationally on Friday ahead of the weekend.
Waitrose executive director James Bailey said: “Waitrose sees significant opportunities for Dishpatch, which works with some of Britain’s most respected chefs and restaurants.
Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning
“We have shared values in serving our customers the best quality food and we’re looking forward to working together.”
He explained that the grocer’s immediate focus will be helping Dishpatch to grow its core meal kit business and that he was “also looking forward to working with the team to bring further new and exciting food experiences to Waitrose customers”.
Dishpatch founder and CEO Peter Butler added: “Since launching in 2020, our mission at Dishpatch has always been to bring the most exciting, high-quality restaurant food into more people’s lives.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Waitrose whose reputation has been built on the quality of their food. With such aligned values, we’re excited to bring our meal kits to a wider audience and exploring new opportunities beyond that.”
The acquisition follows on from other partnerships that Waitrose has entered into this year, including Ottolenghi in April.
The restaurant chain rolled out a range of sauces and spices exclusively in the upmarket supermarket to bring its products “to the masses” in a move that marked the company’s first venture into grocery.
