Serial entrepreneur Simon Prockter has done it again…
Introducing Housebites, the company that offers freshly prepared home-cooked food delivered straight to your door. Simply enter your postcode to find experienced chefs in your area, choose from an ever-changing unique menu, and wait for dinner to come to you! The aim of Housebites is to merge the ease of a takeaway with the quality of a restaurant whilst simultaneously closing the gap between the diner and the chef. All feedback is welcomed and Housebites has created a unique database of ‘taste-tested’ chefs from which you can choose, providing they operate locally.
Launched in September 2011 by people who love food but lack the time to cook, the service also allows, as Prockter explains, a business opportunity for quality chefs who can’t afford to own their own restaurant. Chefs can sign up to Housebites, design their menu and set their prices whilst earning 85% of the takings, promoting their professional position whilst providing a high quality service.
The idea behind Housebites was initially a dining model similar to that of Come Dine With Me, which would involve strangers being invited to your house for a dinner party. However it quickly came to the attention of the founder that this idea challenges the way in which people would usually behave thus leading to Housebites as we know it. After ordering a takeaway Prockter examined and subsequently solved the problems that he encountered through the creation of his new business, a method, which he asserts, does not always work, but in this case it has.
Initially Housebites received funding from two investors including Paul Birch, both of which grew to know that the original idea wasn’t going as well as planned, leading them to ask for their money back. But after asking to keep the money until the end of the weekend, Simon managed to hold on to his investment which led to the birth of Housebites.
One of the most used tactics for getting the word out about Housebites is through flyering directly to peoples’ houses and by getting influential people involved to spread the idea; and with loyal customers such as Stephen Fry and an ex-prime minister, I would say they’re doing a good job.
In the future Housebites plan to extend their reach so that they cover more cities in the UK, thus growing their staff and therefore allowing for more demand.
Cutting out the middle man never tasted so good.
