Freshly made home-cooked food from the kitchen can now be at your doorstep with one click. Two young entrepreneurs in the North East, Yuru Guo, 24, and Francesca Docker, 20 have recently set up a new company ‘’
The website lets home cooks set up their food store, where they can write their own menu and deliver food to customers in their local area. Yuru Guo, the creator of the business, came from China to study at Durham University, she graduated in 2021 and now is working full-time in Newcastle upon Tyne.
She said: “ ‘Hey! Food is Ready’ was inspired during lockdown when I saw people cooking and posting photos of their homemade meals from their native countries and I wanted to try them!
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"My online marketplace for home-cooked meals will connect culturally inspired home-cooks to people seeking freshly made authentic meals. It has boosted my confidence and made me believe what’s possible with effort and enthusiasm."
“When I came to the UK, I was frustrated that I couldn’t find the same authentic feeling I had back home,
“Now, with ‘Hey! Food is Ready’, people can order from a variety of home cooks from different countries in their local area.
“It is a great way to learn about other cuisines, as it is from people around you, in your neighbourhood.
“We bring authenticity, community, and diversity to the table. With the increase of industrial cooking, we hope to maintain the authenticity of homemade dishes, and keep human connection at the heart of ordering food.”
‘Hey! Food is Ready’ has also opened its platform to refugees resettling in the UK. The two entrepreneurs are volunteering at The World Café , providing additional resources and support services to refugees in Newcastle if they wish to register as home cooks on the platform so that they can gain access to a steady income as soon as possible and integrate into the community.
Yuru adds: "Our mission is to help refugees, immigrants, stay-at-home parents, retirees, or anyone who loves cooking to generate a meaningful income and share their native cuisine, culture, and stories with the wider community."
Through their platform, Yuru and Francesca feel they can leave a positive impact, not only in the food industry but as a place where people can share their cultural experiences. Francesca Docker who lives in County Durham and comes from Sheffield is a second-year English literature student from Durham University.
She said: “This is a project we are both very passionate about, what better way to connect the community together than through food?” They encourage anyone who is interested in cooking or selling to fill out a form on their website, in preparation for launching the platform next month.
All home cooks are approved and notified 24 hours in advance of customers placing their orders. Food hygiene rating and product liability insurance are covered.
For more information visit: https://www.heyfoodisready.co.uk/ . Meanwhile, home cooks can sign up to the platform here: https://forms.gle/PVxMokNH6vngCXAu7
