Meal kit deliveries skyrocket as coronavirus outbreak spreads through New Zealand

My Food Bag head chef and dietitian Nadia Lim. Photo / Supplied

Meal kit delivery service My Food Bag expects to have the biggest weekend in its seven-year history as the impact of coronavirus spreads over New Zealand.

In the past 24 hours, they also launched a $139.99 My Back-Up meal option designed to take the hassle of stocking up the pantry with long-life items.

Two weeks ago they broke their own record for the total number of meal kits sold, however this weekend was looking likely to be even bigger again.

"The orders are stronger than we've ever seen before," Kevin Bowler, chief executive of My Food Bag, told the Herald.

My Food Bag, like other meal kit services, sourced ingredients and created recipes for dishes before delivering them to Kiwis homes each week.

Along with the already strict healthy working conditions, Bowler said extra precautions were being taken to ensure everyone was kept safe.

My Food Bag chief executive Kevin Bowler. Photo / Supplied

A number of staff were already working from home, he said Friday, with gaps put between shifts at their sites to ensure less chance of people overlapping.

Elsewhere, the My Back-Up option provided enough shelf-sustainable items for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two adults across seven days.

The shortest expiry date any item had was six months but most were between 12 and 18 months, Bowler said.

"We haven't sold out but we're almost sold out of the first round of deliveries - we're working with our suppliers to get more stock," he said.

"Our chefs have created some incredibly special recipes with these really mundane ingredients.

"You and I might just put them in a pot of boiling water and put some sauce on it and think it's okay but the chefs have done a really good job."

A few treats were also packed into the back-up option, with chocolate and popcorn also packed away.

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