People across the north who have reignited or found a new passion for cooking at home have been able to set up their own home cooking businesses thanks to the launch of a new app.
The new app, Feedzaa, is an online marketplace designed to give food lovers access to fresh, home cooked food in West Yorkshire, Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle.
Because it is tailored for passionate cooks who may not necessarily be trained, the app supports home chefs to get their kitchens up to the hygiene standards needed and promote their dishes directly to a well receiving audience.
Every home chef on Feedzaa who has been inspected by their council's EHO has received a 5/5 rating.
Throughout the pandemic, people across the nation reignited or found a new passion for cooking. Being stuck at home with little to do, people began to keep themselves busy by starting or revisiting a hobby they usually wouldn't have time to commit to in 'normal' times.
For many people, that meant picking up their aprons and letting loose in the kitchen making everything from viral banana bread to their family's traditional recipes that span back generations.
Kajal, a home chef who offers Mauritian cuisine said, "I started on the app a few months ago during lockdown. I have always been very passionate about cooking and wanted people to know more about Mauritian cuisine. Feedzaa provided me the platform to do so and I'm very grateful for that."
For those who want to pursue their new found passion, Feedzaa is a tool to help them run their own home business. The business remains theirs. The support structure and friendly Feedzaa community helps them get to grips with running a business.
Kalpna, owner of K Catering, is a 60-year-old who enjoys cooking in the moments she's not babysitting her granddaughter.
After finding the time to cook again through the pandemic, Kalpna said: "Due to the lockdown this hobby made time pass much easier, and it also ensured I was able to receive some additional income. This platform gave me more anchorage, confidence, and moral support."
The Feedzaa app has recently gone live following a beta phase in Leeds, which saw over 1240 orders being placed by customers.
While the app started with a focus on Indian cuisine in the beta phase, Feedzaa's founders have now extended the service to a wider range of cuisines such as Chinese and Homebakes, in addition to Indian. The choices were made on the back of customer market research.
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Co-founder of Feedzaa Priya Vishwa said: "Feedzaa has been successful due to the fact it offers those passionate about cooking the opportunity to start their own business from home, providing tools and expert knowledge to help them grow and gain confidence to showcase your talent.
"It is also beneficial for those looking for more flexible work for a better work-life balance.
"Not only does the app create a community of people who appreciate authentic food, but it will also give those who've reignited their passion for cooking during the pandemic a chance to be celebrated.
"Running your business from home, and working your chosen hours is something rare in the hospitality industry - which Feedzaa allows. "
From a customer point of view, Feedzaa allows families in the north to access fresh, home-cooked traditional cuisines from all over the world, something which they otherwise would not have access to.
Pushing back against the typical takeaway, Feedzaa offers home-cooked and healthy meals as one offs or as regular, pre-planned meal options.
Priya added: "We've already welcomed some amazing home chefs to our community, as we expand across the nation, we want to ensure that all cultures are represented.
"People love authentic home-cooked food, but they often find it hard to access either due to lack of time, availability of ingredients, or simply not knowing the recipe.
"With Feedzaa, we're removing all of those barriers. The app itself allows food lovers to browse the profiles of home chefs, and food can be ordered on a specified date and time.
"From a chef perspective, registered home chefs are able to create a profile detailing their hygiene rating, cuisines, and location as well as photos of their delicious meals to attract their customers."
Feedzaa is now particularly looking for home bakers, Indian and Chinese home chefs from West Yorkshire, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle.
Those interested in joining the Feedzaa community can do so at www.feedzaa.com.
