Food has obviously always played an important part in human history. However, in just the past few years, the role that food plays in western society has taken on entirely new characteristics. A great deal of this change in attitude and our relationship with food can be attributed to the advent of smartphones and social media.
The word “foodie” did not exist a decade ago; now we have stores that promote themselves as the choice for foodies. In the not too distant past when we ordered a meal in a restaurant, we basically commented on how it looked when it arrived and then ate it; now we take a picture of it in order to share it across our ever-expanding social media landscape. We have entered into somewhat of a game of one-upmanship over who can find the most unusual, the prettiest, the rarest, and the most complicated (in terms of preparation and presentation) foods on the planet.
None of this is necessarily bad; in fact some of it can be very entertaining.
It is only natural that the technology that helped launch and support the foodie movement would also provide the tools needed by both the foodies and those that are simply looking to save some time or find a place to have dinner.
“Food-tech” in the form of apps, services, and website start-ups is one area that continues to grow and continues to gain support from consumers and from the investment community as well.
The apps and services available basically fall into three categories. Here are some of the best:
Services
Research shows that the amount of free time we have is shrinking. It’s little wonder that we look for ways to save time on mundane, but necessary tasks, like cooking.
One of these beneficiaries of this is subscription food services. These services eliminate shopping, the need to find a recipe, and often the need to cook. Subscription services cover every type of food preference and every budget.
Blue Apron – The Brooklyn based company offer boxes designed for vegetarians, meat lovers, pescaterians, and kosher boxes on a weekly basis. Subscribers must order at least three meal kits a week, at an average cost of $10.00 per meal per person.
Chefday! – This service takes the subscription service to an entirely different level. For about $17.50 per meal per person, you will get all the necessary ingredients to prepare a meal. You will also be sent a video of the chef who developed the recipe showing how to make the dish.
Munchery – This company prides itself on convenience and quality ingredients. They change a low flat rate to deliver a fully prepared meal for about $12.00 each. Users schedule when they want the meal delivered, whether it is days in advance or just a few hours.
Where To Eat
Making a decision on where to eat has always presented a bit of a problem. Most people are creatures of habit and therefore have one “go-to” restaurant for various cuisines. Apps are helping change that.
Tastemade – This app is a must for travellers. Tastemade has assembled a network of “Tastemakers” in cities around the world. Simply select a city and you will receive short videos on the best and coolest places to eat. You can also make your own videos to share on social media and compile lists of places you wish to visit.
Hungry House – This app specialises not only in helping you choose a restaurant by showing you the full menu but also shows you user ratings. Users simply enter their postcode and Hungry House brings up the restaurants in their area. Users chose the type of food they want, choose a restaurant and place their order, directly in the app. The app also shows which ones will deliver your food to you.
Recipes
Sometimes the pictures of our friend’s culinary creations cause us to wish that we had gone to culinary school. Fortunately there are apps to show us how to make practically any type of meal or drink.
Mixologist – This is the perfect app for playing bartender. You can look up a recipe or enter the ingredients you have on hand and the app will show you the best drinks to make.
Yummly – This app basically works in the same way. Yummly shows great pictures of food from around the world and give you the recipe to make it. If you see a dish that you like, the app will also build a shopping list for you too.
Now over to you
From the above’s list, which food apps have you personally use? What do you think of the apps? Please share with us!