So far Indie Eats has raised 20 percent of its target, but still has a way to go before the 11 November deadline
A new independent food delivery startup in Cardiff is crowdfunding to permanently establish their service following a successful three-month trial.
Indie Eats was founded during this year’s March lockdown by Cardiff native Ed Choo. It aims to provide an alternative to established food delivery apps like UberEats and Deliveroo, which have seen demand boom since lockdown began in March.
Following the trial, Ed is now crowdfunding to establish the business permanently. At the time of publication, Indie Eats had raised £1,920, nearly one third of its target, having extended the deadline to 11 November following the announcement of a new two week lockdown in Wales.
Ed, an opera singer by trade, said, “For us to survive we need funds, because we are independent, we don’t get any financial backing. And because we’re so new, we’re not eligible for any government support either.”
The general idea was to help independent businesses, he said. Initially they had offered a low commission rate, but after reassessing found that “just wasn’t feasible.”
Helping each other out
Among the businesses signed up to the platform is Luna’s Vegan Corner, whose owner, Nicoleta Pana, was an early supporter of the venture.
“Prior to the lockdown, we were talking to [Ed] about our struggles to get on platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats,” she said. “They’re expensive to join and the commission is huge.
“After he created the platform he just came and approached us. When we heard that he was doing that, we were very keen to get on board and help him out.”
Everybody wants to help each other out and get through this
Ed said businesses appreciated that he was on the end of a phone, during difficult times for the hospitality industry, and said, “The spirit that we have together at the moment is wonderful. Everybody wants to help each other out and get through this.”