Sobeys teams up with homemade meal marketplace Cookin

Canadian grocer Sobeys has partnered with Cookin, a Toronto-based homemade food delivery marketplace.

Through the Cookin app and website, consumers can order ready-to-eat meals made by proven local home cooks, chefs, bakers and food creators. Under the partnership, cooks, chefs and other food creators in Toronto will use Sobeys ingredients and exclusive products to prepare their dishes. Sobeys and Cookin also plan to provide customers with engaging content, such as creative ideas for meals, as well as complementary offers.

“When it comes to families and friends bonding over meals, we couldn’t be more enthusiastic to support creative and talented Cookin chefs,” Julie van Wyck, head of corporate strategy and development at Sobeys Inc., the retail grocery arm of Stellarton, Nova Scotia-based Empire Company Ltd. “This new partnership will help the Toronto culinary community thrive, highlight our incredible products and is aligned with our passion for local, fresh and multicultural offerings.”

Via its digital meal marketplace, Cookin provides fast delivery of a wide variety of authentic, home-cooked cuisine. The company said food is delivered on demand in under an hour, with no prepping and no reheating required. Customers can also order in advance and select a 30-minute delivery window for a future date or time.

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Cookin launched in Toronto last year and in May expanded across the greater Toronto area, including Etobicoke, Thornhill, North York and parts of Mississauga, Scarborough, Richmond Hill and Markham, Ontario. The service made its U.S. debut in Dallas in mid-August, and Cookin said it plans to expand to Austin and Houston in late 2023 and then to Tampa, Florida, and other U.S. markets in 2024.

By aligning with Sobeys, Cookin said it will bring more Toronto residents a new way to experience convenient homemade meals.

“This strategic partnership embodies the shared missions of both organizations, with Sobeys committed to nurturing families and communities and Cookin’s vision to unite people through food,” stated Morley Ivers, CEO of Cookin. “Together, we will promote diverse food culture, support local culinary talent and entrepreneurs, and offer customers a variety of thrilling offers centered around authentic and personal culinary experiences.”

Cookin noted that its technology allows food creators to become entrepreneurs by running their own food businesses, including their schedule, menu and pricing. Cooks must be certified for safety and pass a kitchen inspection. The company said cooks on its platform retain 70% to 85% of the revenue.

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“As a Cookin chef, it’s exciting to see Sobeys recognize our enthusiasm for authentic local cuisine from such a diverse range of cultures,” commented chef Sand Tsoi, who operates the Baan Thai store on the Cookin marketplace. “With their support, we can collectively bring more visibility to local food entrepreneurs and chefs like me, empowering a vibrant culinary community that benefits both our customers and the community at large.” 

Overall, Sobeys’ retail network spans over 1,900 food, drug and convenience stores in all 10 provinces under such banners as Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy, Longo’s and Lawtons Drugs.