Waitrose acquires meal kit delivery firm Dishpatch

Waitrose has announced the acquisition of Dishpatch, the meal-kit delivery service that provides “restaurant-quality home dining” in collaboration with some of the UK’s leading chefs.

Dishpatch, founded in 2020, “replicates a restaurant experience” without leaving the house with chef-designed dishes from the likes of Angela Hartnett, Michel Roux Jr, Rick Stein, Sabrina Ghayour and others.

Customers can choose from over 40 Dishpatch menus, with food and wine delivered nationally on Friday. Waitrose said the difference between Dishpatch and other meal kit companies is that all dishes come pre-prepared with only a few simple steps to finish and serve.

James Bailey, executive director for Waitrose, said: “Waitrose sees significant opportunities for Dishpatch, which works with some of Britain’s most respected chefs and restaurants.

“We have shared values in serving our customers the best quality food and we’re looking forward to working together. While our immediate focus will be helping Dishpatch grow its core meal kit business, we are also looking forward to working with the team to bring further new and exciting food experiences to Waitrose customers.”

Peter Butler, founder and CEO of Dishpatch, added: “Since launching in 2020, our mission at Dishpatch has always been to bring the most exciting, high-quality restaurant food into more people’s lives. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Waitrose whose reputation has been built on the quality of their food. With such aligned values, we’re excited to bring our meal kits to a wider audience and exploring new opportunities beyond that.”

Butler will continue to be Dishpatch CEO. Interpath Advisory acted as the lead financial advisor to Dishpatch on the transaction.