My Food Bag to nourish Australia

Highly successful New Zealand home delivery service My Food Bag plans to take its innovative concept to Australia.

My Food Bag enables customers who order online to receive deliveries of ingredients and recipes for a week’s nutritious and healthy main meals.

Group CEO Cecilia Robinson says expansion to Australia has been a natural evolution on the success of the NZ launch and post launch operation.

“We have had sustained growth in New Zealand and we believe we can replicate that success across the Tasman. Australia is a significant market and modern communications mean in management terms we can all work as part of a team.

“It’s very early days in our planning and a launch date has yet to be set but we expect to be up and running there before the end of winter.”

Ms Robinson says the expansion is a testament to the way in which New Zealanders have embraced the brand and the learnings and feedback has enabled them to make this step into the wider market.

“Kiwis love our service. In little more than 12 months we have expanded from a single Auckland delivery service to Hamilton and Wellington - and we will continue to expand here in New Zealand.”

My Food Bag’s Australian operation will be headquartered in Sydney focusing initially on the New South Wales market.

Ms Robinson plans to move to Sydney with her husband James, who is chief operating officer, to oversee the launch.  My Food Bag director Theresa Gattung will step in as CEO for New Zealand and dietitian and ambassador Nadia Lim will remain here too.

The expansion strategy sees the replication of the business in Australia with goods and recipes sourced locally Ms Robinson says.

“In Australia we will be buying local as we do in New Zealand because our entire philosophy centres on sourcing free range local products and produce. This helps us keep a low footprint on the planet and provides a launching pad for small local businesses – something that has worked extremely well in New Zealand.

“Nadia (Lim) is our recipe queen and she works with a team of test cooks in New Zealand so we will implement a similar structure in Australia.”

My Food Bag has been recruiting across the Tasman and eight staff have already been appointed. However, the company is currently advertising for a general manager in Australia.

Ms Robinson says there are differences between the two markets but there are also many similarities.

“We have a fantastic Australian team to work with and we anticipate a response similar to the NZ launch.”

About My Food Bag:
My Food Bag is a home delivery service where customers who order online receive food bags containing the ingredients and recipes for a week’s main meals. All the ingredients are fresh, free range and locally sourced wherever possible. The recipes are exclusive to My Food Bag and have been developed by My Food Bag’s test kitchen team and 2011 Masterchef winner Nadia Lim. The recipes also include nutritional analysis and cooking tips. The business is the brainchild of entrepreneur Cecilia Robinson (www.aupairlink.co.nz) who is the group CEO. Leading New Zealand businesswoman Theresa Gattung is an active shareholder. Visit www.myfoodbag.co.nz