ROAD TEST: Deliveroo – Why go out when the gourmet food comes to you?

Feeling the icy grasp of winter? Me too. That preeminent psycho, Jack Frost is turning my toes into tiny popsicles ready for a winter’s hibernation. It’s cold, too cold for me to want venture forth for another outside foodie adventure for a while. Sad but true. So let me tell you a tale about a whole lot of food and a blue kangaroo.

I was walking in The Rocks near Fish at the Rocks when I noticed a Moped adorned with a cute kangaroo and an ever-patient courier. Thinking nothing of it, I kept walking until I heard “your order’s ready”. I turn around as the ‘courier’ is tucking a sizable takeaway into his bike’s storage before taking off.

The next night, whilst contemplating food vs groceries vs cooking vs forget it and go sleep, I randomly Googled ‘home delivery kangaroo’ and there it was, Deliveroo – cute kangaroo and all.

Now I’m all up for the latest home delivery and this looked a little different. On the north-side there were burgers, fish & chips, lobster, Korean, tapas and from places I didn’t realise existed. I was now on a mission, I had to Road Test this latest delivery service. With $100 budget, I was on my way.

My first try was using the website on my desktop. First mission was to give them my address and set up an account. Next to search for my dining choice. I ordered from Batch Burger in Kirribilli. A Brooklyn burger – Bacon, smoked cheddar, tomato, pickles, Spanish onion & lettuce with thousand island dressing; some fries with smoked hickory sauce and some home made slaw. All up $31 including delivery and it arrived in 32 minutes. The burger was sooo good and not too worse for wear after a quick trip up the road.

A few nights later when contemplating ordering in, I immediately went to the Deliveroo app to see what I could order. I inputted my details after downloading the app from the App Store and it connected to my account the first time. One quick search and I was looking for my next meal. How about fish? … yes fish, that’s healthy! So I order from Fine Fish in Neutral Bay – Battered fish & Chips with seasonal slaw. $33 including delivery and 41 minutes from order to my door. Not bad at all.

The weather improved over the week, so I ventured my icy toes out to treat myself to some actual restaurants face to face and parked Deliveroo for a while. The following week, there I was stuck at my computer with no end in sight when I suddenly got a craving for a decent home delivered meal. A quick search on the app and in 38 minutes, I found myself unwrapping a Pad Thai, Spring Rolls and coconut rice from Bo Thai in Crows Nest for $36 including delivery.

Now, home delivery services are nothing new but Deliveroo is slightly different with a flat $5 delivery fee and different set of takeaway offerings. Deliveroo is the latest entry into the Australian market hot on the heels of the standard food delivery services and apps (hell even UberEATS is a thing). If they stick to the idea of quality providers that are not found on other services, they have my vote.

I mean where else are you going to get freshly shucked oysters and lobster home delivered? Opening the app now …