- Once you download the application and fill in the relevant details, a user gets to either become a host or make a custom order.
- Users and hosts get to share photos and videos of meals in the app.
Image: pixabay
With modern smart devices and food distribution businesses on the rise, consumer demand is on the rise.
Technology is impressively contributing to the food’s journey from somebody’s kitchen to a fork in your home.
Funded in 2018 by Joshua Kainja and John Muhindo, the Ugandan Food-tech start-up, first came up with the idea to create more job opportunities and to empower people to create homemade meals.
The start-up began in Uganda, before expanding to Nigeria, Tanzania, and now Kenya.
Just like how Facebook works, once you download the application and fill in the relevant details, a user gets to either become a host or make a custom order.
Image: pixabay
Can you host instead of ordering?
PieMe sees that as an opportunity, as the company’s Head of Growth Robert Okello thinks.
Okello says PieMe undertakes a thorough inspection process to make sure that the prospective host’s kitchen meets up to standards and that they have a food handler certificate.
The team considers cleanliness and the hygiene levels of the environment.
Once approved, the hosts can then showcase their meals and recipes, and then they help to market the content to prospective users.
“We’re basically helping people turn their home kitchens into part-time restaurants. If you want to make five meals and sell them, you are able to do that. If you want to do 10. If you don’t want to host that day, you just, don’t post anything that day,” he says.
Image: MARGARET WANJIRU
How do users make an order?
They can explore the meals being made near them, add dishes to their cart, select the day and time for pickup at the cook’s home or delivery, and checkout.
The user also gets to follow their favourite cooks
The start-up has partnered with over 15 culinary schools, among them Utalii and Boma, to enable their alumni and current students to cash in from their catering and culinary skills by becoming hosts on the platform.
Users and hosts get to share photos and videos of meals in the app.
“We want to focus on food lovers who want to share stuff about the meals they cook at home with the world,” he said.
It is available on both Android and IOS applications.
The PieMe team then markets to customers.
“The hosts can create content, host events, and invite foreigners. If you‘re a user, you’re able to scroll through food content on the platform like you would on Facebook,” he says.
“We are bringing back eating well, especially homemade meals. But keep it hyperlocal so none of the food travels across the country, just around your area. That sends a signal that every person can become a home cook, and we have a place for you to do it.”