To ask if you this this business could work?

[Seabiscuit1]

I have been thinking about this for years and haven’t really run it by many people. So I thought I would ask some internet strangers what they think!
I am thinking about starting a homemade ready meal business starting initially in the village that I live. I would prepare a couple of choices for people to order and deliver them to their door before dinner time. I would offer both family sized potions and individual portions. Do you think there is a market for this?
For context, I have working in a kitchen in the past, have food safety qualifications and consider myself (and have been told that) I am a good cook. I live in a large, affluent village with lots of busy, working families and wealthy older people.
I think this could work and it would be something that I could grow but it would be great if I could get some opinion or suggestions before I take the plunge! Thank you

If it was fresh, I'd order the stuff that's a faff to make,,,lasagne, cottage pie, fish pie, shepherds pie etc.

I'd stay away from curries as unless there is a dearth if takeaways where you are, that's covered. You want to go for thr gap in thr market.

I wouldn't go cheap either, do it well, and worth it.

Yes I've thought about this in the past and I'm sure it would work well.
Good luck with it and please deliver to north of Scotland once you are up and running!!

I've have my home kitchen registered with the food standards agency so if you want to ask any questions just PM me!

If you were near me, I'd be ordering from you, I'm disabled & sometimes don't have the energy to cook, it would be lovely to have something different from the typical types of takeaway food. If you could target the elderly/disabled/single person type market, I'm sure you would do well because I find it's too much hassle to cook a full meal just for myself & end up relying on convenience food & ready meals that are tiny portions & not always good quality ingredients.

Cook seems to be doing well enough, so why not.

I would love this. I work 4 days a week, have three kids and a nice big lasagne for tea that I don't have to cook would be amazing. Curry would also be fab.

Thank you for all of your encouragement and advice.
For those of you who would use this service, would you prefer the meal delivered hot or ready to reheat? And if reheating, for the oven or microwave?

What a fab idea. Would love someone to do this in my village. I'd probably prefer it delivered for me to heat up when I'm ready - wouldn't mind if it was oven or microwave.

I was going to mention 'Cook' as well. Their products are for sale near me @ Burford Garden Centre, Gloucester services etc.

healthy ready meals, yes. as long as not too expensive, microwave reheating. or an option for both.

I know someone who ran a pizza delivery. He changed to a sandwich shop. He said the sandwich shop was more successful, because the out goings were less. I don't want to put you off, but suggest investigate the costs.

I live in the Highlands so villages and towns quite far apart. A butcher 10 miles away does this but there’s a local specialty/health food shop that sells them. They do really well and they aren’t even delivered.
They are sold chilled and suitable for freezing.
It’s great when I’ve got a busy day or just can’t be bothered cooking to get a fresh cooked family meal that is a decent portion rather than a tiny limp ready meal. I’d totally go for the home delivery too.

I’d love healthy choices with heaps of veg, preferably with calories worked out. (Ie, meals with lots of protein and veg for 400 calories, ditto at 500 calories, 600, 700, etc) I’d order takeaway like that!

I’d like to be able to order it hot ideally, but microwave would do. Oven takes too long!

Why would folk use you, as opposed to an established Curry/Chinese/Pizza place that does delivery? You'll not be able to match the adverising, economy of scale or choice these places offer?

While lots of people think this is a good idea, and would like to order from you (who wouldn't like a home-made meal delivered to them?!), my concern is that this would be a lot of work for you without much profit to be made.

We have a couple around here that do well, one has just opened a shop and is killing it. They also sell school type puddings, sausage rolls etc, and also a Sunday dinner on a weekend.

I think you definitely need to enjoy cooking.

My dh does a big goat curry/jerk chicken rice etc every few weeks for a load of his mates and I can’t even bear to be in the kitchen as it’s mayhem.

Sorry, didn't finish my post! I think you need to work out very carefully how much the ingredients are going to cost you (as well as cost of fuel etc), and then compare this with how much a similar meal might cost a) at the supermarket and b) from a takeaway - to see how much you can charge for yours.

You also need to work out where you're going to buy your ingredients from, to keep your costs as low as you can. No point buying your ingredients at the supermarket, as this will mean your overheads are probably going to be too high.

I would love this near me. I spent a fortune in M&S buying decent ready meals. Would much rather shop local

I'd probably offer a heat at home range as if you get a lot of orders you are likely to have to deliver within a shortish time frame and unless you have a few drivers you may end up with lukewarm food being delivered. I've used Deliveroo a couple of times for meals like pasta or burgers and because the food been hanging around it isn't very pleasant. I'd say if you are going for the healthy, high quality end of the market you can probably include curries as most typical takeaway curry isn't particular good quality and pretty high in fat. I would wonder how much of a profit you;d make though - the likes of Cook are producing in pretty high numbers so get economies of scale.