UCOOK has one central directive: to feed as many South Africans in need as possible!
South Africa (17 April 2020) – Meal Kit delivery service and authorised Essential Food Service UCOOK has today launched the UCOOK Food Fund in partnership with FoodForward South Africa, the Philippi Economic Development Initiative (PEDI) and Ladles of Love.
CEO David Torr says that the Fund has one central directive: to feed as many South Africans in need as possible. He says that with every Meal Kit purchased, UCOOK will donate a portion of sales to the Fund.
Torr says that South Africa’s food system is facing a moment of crisis.
“The economic fallout caused by the lockdown is affecting both farmers and suppliers, and while the food system tries to right itself, the people who will be most affected by the lockdown are those experiencing homelessness and those who can no longer afford to find a meal,” says Torr.
UCOOK came about in 2014 when two friends, David Torr and Chris Verster Cohen, noticed a gap in the market for convenient, healthy dinner solutions. After officially launching the business in 2015, they were quickly joined by a few friends and proceeded to operate the young start-up out of a garage in Cape Town, packing each box themselves. From 24 boxes in their first delivery round to tens of thousands in 2018, a warehouse space in Joburg and Cape Town, and now a team of 50, UCOOK has established itself as South Africa’s favourite dinner kit service in just 3 years.
“We find ourselves in an incredibly privileged position to be able to continue our service during the national lockdown period, and we take the duty very seriously,” says Torr.
“In addition to continuing to provide current and new customers with the best at-home cooking and dining experience, we have worked around the clock to finalise this partnership to help the people of South Africa.”
The UCOOK Food Fund will drive the efforts of PEDI, Ladles of Love and UCOOK’s nutritious food parcel programme, which ensures that people in need receive packs of fresh vegetables and essential foods. In addition, the Fund will further assist FoodForward SA to distribute surplus food from the supply chain to people in need.
“This initiative will enable the three partners to significantly scale their efforts, reaching a dramatically higher number of people in need of food,” says Torr.
“FoodForward SA is proud and excited to team up with UCOOK so that together, we can reach thousands of vulnerable households with nutritious food to sustain them during this very challenging time,” says Andy du Plessis, Managing Director of FoodForwardSA.
“The partnership between UCOOK, Ladles of Love and PEDI is like a family. We’re committed to working as one for the benefit of the people who need help,” says Paul Stöhrer, PEDI’s Programme Manager.
Torr says that the Fund, and ability to assist, is not reserved only for UCOOK customers, “If you’re not a UCOOK customer, you can still donate. We’ve integrated with SnapScan and Zapper to make instant donation simple on our website.”
Visit www.ucook.co.za/foodfund to learn more and donate.
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