Delivery business launched during lockdown succeeds

Birmingham city centre-based couple Jasdeep Sandhu and Carl Mourillon had been planning to start a food delivery service for offices but had to change plans when the lockdown began on March 23.

Instead, they began picking up food from Birmingham Wholesale Market on their electric-assisted bike “Babs” to make fruit and veg deliveries under the company name Pedalling Pantry.

It aims to be the city’s “first zero-waste plastic-free sustainable shop on two wheels”.

They deliver on Babs to residents within four miles of the city centre, with food boxes costing from £10 to £20 each and other products available such as bamboo cutlery.

They have now had more than 130 orders since starting on April 18, and have gone from making deliveries on one day to two days per week.

They join other fruit and vegetable delivery services operating in the city including Fruitrunner and another newly-launched service, Fruit2u.com.

Ms Sandhu, 40, who has previously worked as a teacher, postal worker and courier, leads on customer relations and product buying.

Mr Mourillon, 42, a former chef, is business manager and is researching ways of expanding the product range and the fleet – to potentially include a zero-emission electric milk float.

The couple said their children Kahero, seven, Anaya, five, and Ruhi, three, are able to “shadow” them and learn by watching them work.

Among the new products they would like to include are themed boxes such as an Indian box and Afro-Caribbean box to cater for diverse cooking styles.

The Indian box is intended to containing coriander and birds eye green chillies, bottle gourd vegetable (dudhi/lauki), okra, brinjals (aubergines), gawaar, karela or tendli.

The Afro-Caribbean box is intended to contain garlic, scotch bonnet chillies, thyme, plantain, yam, sweet potatoes, bread fruit, avocado, coconuts and pumpkin.

Ms Sandhu said: “We were trying to set up lunch deliveries for office workers. We got all set up and then Covid-19 happened and there were no office workers.

“We changed our business model into doing fruit and vegetable deliveries on the bicycle. I am quite good at not letting things hold me back. We are doing really well, considering.

“I go to a wholesalers. I rolled up on my bike and they said ‘we are just open to traders’. I said ‘I am a trader, honestly!’. They rolled their eyeballs and let me in.

“I can get 85kg on my bike. I took it home, and divided it up between neighbours who showed interest.

“I got some feedback – they loved it and wanted to reorder.

“I had never done a website before, but made a little website and put some feelers out on Facebook community groups – Moseley, Harborne and the Jewellery Quarter.

“We have had more than 130 orders since then. We had six orders the first week, then 10 orders, then 46 orders with a 30 per cent off promotion, then 31 orders and 40 orders even without a promotion.

“We are just working from home but we do want to grow. We have now got a little trailer and we want to buy a zero-emission electric milk float. Getting a van doesn’t fit with our values.

“We are not up to capacity – we want to expand our customer base. But it’s definitely been a success.

“We have had great feedback from customers. They mention how fresh it is. The wholesalers get it from growers overnight.

“Customers want boxes that reflect their cooking style. We want to try and provide Indian boxes and Afro-Caribbean boxes. We want to reflect the diversity that Birmingham has.

“I think it has helped starting at this time. A lot of our customers are elderly, and they don’t want to be spending long in the shop or carrying much back.

“Some have anxiety about contracting Covid-19, so shopping can be an anxiety.

“We are part of the National Caterers Association and follow their Covid-19 procedures.

“The improvements in the city’s cycle network have been very much welcomed by our family.

“It has meant safer cycling for our children who all enjoy cycling independently on the blue routes, including our three year old.

“The blue route also goes through Aston most of the way towards the Birmingham Wholesale Market.

“This is great as I use that route to go to and from the wholesalers on our bicycle at the crack of dawn.”