Tweet smell of US success for Angel Delivery
WELLINGTON FOOD delivery business Angel Delivery is being rolled out across the United States after sealing a 50:50 joint venture agreement with New York-based company The Fresh Diet.
Becs Cass, a mother of two, founded Angel Delivery, originally Baby Angel, in 2008 to deliver home-cooked meals to new mothers who often received flowers and gifts from relatives in other cities and countries, but lacked real family support.
Baby Angel allowed dispersed families to give practical help to new mums in the form of gourmet meals and home help.
‘‘I grew up in an environment where family and neighbours would drop in homemade meals if you had a new baby or were unwell,’’ Cass said. ‘‘For many of us today, finding time to prepare dinner for someone else and then dropping it to their home is simply impossible, but people still want to show they care in practical ways.’’
The former paediatric nurse soon established a sizeable customer base and discovered that, alongside new mums, orders were being placed for a range of reasons. People wanted to send care packages to loved ones going through a tough time, or simply because they deserved a treat. Hence Angel Delivery. But now a message received on social media service Twitter is taking the business to another level entirely.
Early this year, Cass received a tweet from New York businessman Zalmi Duchman, founder of one of the US’s leading food delivery services, The Fresh Diet.
Duchman tweeted ‘‘let’s talk business’’. A week and a few Skype chats later, and Cass boarded a plane to meet the man and form a partnership.
Duchman said his interest was piqued by seeing what Cass had going in New Zealand.
‘‘I loved the look and feel of the website and business and the fact that I already was in the fresh food business made me want to explore bringing the concept to the US.
‘‘After my initial contact with Becs via Twitter and Skype I had a strong feeling about her as an entrepreneur but more as a person,’’ Duchman said.
‘‘I knew that to successfully launch this in the US I would need a partner that was passionate about the business and my best chance was to partner with Rebecca who clearly has the passion.’’
Duchman said Cass’s background as a nurse and carer was also a big reason he wanted to partner with her.
Now Angel Delivery is set to begin production in The Fresh Diet’s New York-based kitchen. The menu will include classic US comfort food, such as pot roast, chicken potpie and cobbler, but is also introducing ‘‘ginger crunch’’ – a Kiwi favourite that had New Yorkers swooning when Cass offered samples at a Brooklyn cafe.
‘‘We are planning an aggressive nationwide rollout,’’ Cass said.
‘‘Launching in New York will allow us immediate access to ship nationwide from day one, but we plan to be producing out of The Fresh Diet’s Los Angeles facility within 90 days of launch in an effort to keep shipping costs