Canada’s meal consumption shift gets localized

Canadian evidence points to a real shift toward convenience-oriented food consumption, whether it be ordering take-out, visiting the drive-thru, using a food delivery service or subscribing to a meal kit. Time pressure is particularly relevant for households with children and dual-income workers. And cooking at home isn’t simply the 30-45 minutes spent at the stove.  It involves planning, grocery shopping, transportation, storage, prep, cooking, cleaning, and dealing with leftovers.

Delivery and prepared food eliminate much of that work.  And meal kits occupy a interesting middle ground: they still require cooking, but eliminate much of the other burden. In fact, Statistics Canada now explicitly distinguishes “ready-to-cook meal delivery services such as HelloFresh, Goodfood, and Chefs Plate in its household-spending survey. And for those that want the convenience while also supporting local, a Lethbridge business offers the best of both worlds.

Mike Bond owns Neighbourhood Chef – a downtown business that offers locally-sourced, freshly prepared foods that you can simply heat, then eat at home or work. He and his business partner, also named Mike saw a gap in the food service industry. The two Mikes and a third partner got together and launched the bricks-and-mortar store, along with online ordering and delivering capabilities.