The modern way of life and the shrinking of leisure time have made it difficult for healthy eating and home cooking. Many times, even when there is time to prepare a good and proper meal, there is no time for all the preparation, ie shopping, calculation and preparation of ingredients. Before cooking, time must have been invested in securing the necessary food, and all together it becomes more and more difficult given the stressful daily routine.
That's what 26-year-old Timo Boldt was thinking in 2012, as he was pursuing a career in finance and never had time to go to the supermarket. As he worked long hours, he was looking for a convenient and easy way to cook at home and eat the right meals.
"Even when I had time to cook," he explains to the BBC, "some τρόφιμα they were left over and thrown away, sometimes the recipes I found online did not make sense. I was looking for a way to solve the problem and make the situation easier ".
With a little research, Timo realized that what he and other people who did not have much free time lacked was someone sending them ready-made and measured ingredients for a meal. The ideal "package" would include all materials measured and weighed and recipes with easy instructions.
Seven years ago, there were already some companies that had started offering such services, such as the German HelloFresh. Timo thought the market was going to grow and so he decided to quit his job and rely on his own strength, starting his own business called Gousto.
As a result, it seems that it did very well, since the company is expected to exceed 100 million pounds in sales this year - about 115 million euros - and has already secured the same levels. financing.
Along with rival companies, Gousto now belongs to an "industry" that some estimate will be valued at λί XNUMX billion a year in the UK alone. Globally, the "kit" industry meals is expected to reach $ 9 billion in 2025.
Dramatically increasing its staff from 500 to 1.200 - all in the UK - Gousto is now a long way from its humble beginnings in Timo's living room.
Born in Berlin, Timo moved to London around the age of 20. When he left City for Gousto, he used 75.000 130.000 of his savings and raised another .34 XNUMX from relatives and friends. "When I started, I was working from my living room, without funding," he recalls today, at XNUMX. "Suddenly I went from high salary to no salary. I tried recipes all day and very quickly I managed my friends and family to try the project with the boxes ".
Unable to secure a salary for the first three years, he survived, he says, thanks to "crazy levels of optimism". Like many others, in the early days of his business he tried to do all the work himself, even if it affected his family life. "I gave to them customers my personal cell phone, something my wife hated. There were people who called me at midnight to ask me where their box was. "That's how I learned that you have to somehow disengage yourself," he explains.
He originally sold the boxes from a counter in an eastern market London, and then the company "built" its online presence word of mouth and advertising. Timo also appeared on Dragons' Den in 2013, but failed to secure the funding offered. He had already revealed that Gousto once "lost" 25.000 pounds in a month, but also that he had been offered resources from elsewhere.
Today, the company is headquartered in Hammersmith, west London, and has its factory in Lincolnshire, which ship an average of 250.000 meal kits a month. The average customer is 40 years old and with young children.
The company still has losses, but Timo says that is desirable, as he is still focusing on development. "We could be profitable but we invest intensively," he explains.
According to Nick Carroll of the Mintel Group, meal kits are aimed primarily at affluent customers and families with young children. "This shows both the convenience they offer and the work that companies like Gousto have done to reach wealthy but busy young parents, creating a service that enables convenient and fast meal preparation," he explains.
However, he adds that there are challenges for both Gousto and its competitors. "There are many extra packaging and given that many customers say it is a discouraging factor for online shopping, it is an obstacle that companies in the industry will have to overcome. "
Timo says Gousto is already working to reduce it plastic and the packaging it uses. "We had already reduced the use, now we are trying to reduce the use of plastic to half this year," he explains, noting that they are also looking for alternatives.
At the same time, Gousto is working to reduce food waste in its own production chain, using demand-driven algorithms for the more than 40 recipes it offers each week.
Another issue-challenge is the price of boxes, which he reduced 10-15% two years ago. They are still, however not to be cheap. A box of two recipes for two people costs almost 25 pounds, or about eight pounds per person per meal.
Timo explains how he managed to reduce prices in 2017, thanks to the company's growth and economies of scale. "We want it to be accessible to all," he said.
Looking to the future, he is not currently planning to expand Gousto outside the UK. But he is concerned about its possible impact Brexit and whether it will discourage talented people from other countries from living and working in Britain.
"I see risks from Brexit but I'm optimistic about Gousto and homemade food especially in these uncertain times "he concludes.