It’s a “fresh” partnership, the one between Milkman and the meal-kit startup Quomi, started in October 2019 and already well loved by those gourmands who rely on Quomi to receive their dinners directly to home. Terrj Pavone, Quomi’s Product Manager and Maurizio Porcu, Marketing Manager, have been gracious enough to introduce us to the world of meal-kits and their logistical needs:
The Offering
“Quomi brings in every Italian kitchen all the necessary ingredients to cook simple but tasty recipes. We work with seasonal products, with suppliers located on all national territory, with bio ingredients and produce, especially dosed to avoid any kind of waste. It’s an advanced form of food shopping: you buy and receive only what you need to cook a specific recipe”.
“Our menu changes every week: the customer goes on our Website, chooses what recipes he wants and receives a box containing ingredients and instructions on how to cook them in a few simple steps. We choose our recipes following an imperative: they have to be doable at home, fast. At the beginning we tried to collaborate with chefs but it quickly became clear that what’s simple for them it’s not for the common people.”
Meal-boxes but also an e-commerce
“If you want to add some extras to your shopping, we have an e-commerce too, where you can buy bread, wine, beer, etc. We give our customers the chance of planning other kind of meals too, like office lunches, parties and snacks. Our base selection is freely customizable weekly plans for two adults and two kids or for two adults and one kid. This is because families with working parents and one or two children seem to be the most interested in our solution.”
Sustainability
“Quomi is a new experience allowing to shorten the supply chain that brings to your table high quality products from selected suppliers that are difficult to find throughout the territory. A way to do smart and environmentally friendly shopping. This is why we also work a lot on packaging, since “fresco” asks for solutions that are often bulky and disposable. We are constantly looking for recyclable materials and, in the future, to reusable ones. Already our ice bags are reusable. ”
The Startup
“The first Quomi food boxes were delivered at the beginning of 2016 and we are still the only company in this sector to serve all of Italy, with only a few small competitors operating in geographically limited areas. We wanted to import the meal-kit model tested in the US by Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, a sector that for 2025 will be worth 10 billion euros. Since its inception, the startup has raised € 1.2 million in funding and sent more than 170,000 meals. ”
Deliveries
“Milkman’s great responsibility is to deliver the goods at the right time. The problem with meal-kits is that, since they contain perishable goods, they must necessarily be delivered on time. We needed to find a reliable carrier that also offered the possibility of selecting a time-slot. We tested the model with other shippers and the experience was not the best. Milkman offers not only guarantees but also great attention to the customer, given that your service was created right around him. The first feedbacks received were truly positive. A delivery between 9 to 18 means nothing! Your almost-in-real-time analysis of the delivery status summons tranquillity, which is exactly what people want: to know that the package exists, where it is, when it will arrive. “