Foodles, a re-invented canteen for SMEs, announced that it has entered the UK market to provide businesses and their employees a new way to eat at work through its connected fridges. It marks the company’s first expansion outside of France, with more European expansions to follow.
Renaud Barnoin, General Manager UK, Foodles, says, “Foodles is all about offering people access to better quality and more sustainable meal options while at work. As we all adapt to new hybrid working environments, businesses need to offer employees meaningful incentives to return to offices. With over half of UK, workers reported never taking their full lunch break and the average worker allocating just 27 minutes for lunch, a change in mindset and behaviour is needed. By providing fresh, tasty, and affordable meal options at any time of the day, businesses can encourage a communal atmosphere around a meal and break times, contributing to more cohesive and friendly company culture – something that is high on the priority list for every business leader today.”
Transforming lunch break
Based out of Clichy, Ile-de-France, Foodles was founded in 2015 by serial entrepreneurs and food enthusiasts, Michaël Ormancey and Clément Bonhomme. The company provides fresh and affordable food 24/7 to employees working in hospitality, real estate, and corporate offices through appropriately-stocked, connected fridges.
The company’s proprietary technology platform tracks usage in real-time and analyse consumer preferences so that fridges can be restocked accordingly. Foodles says it can reduce food waste by at least 10%, while its use of reusable containers ensures zero-waste packaging, compared to the traditional canteen.
The company’s artificial intelligence algorithm reduces waste to a minimum with controlled restocking. Any unsold items are donated to local charities.
The French company currently provides 40,000 meals per week to several French customer bases, including Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, ODDO BHF, Ubisoft, and Veepee. To date, the company has served more than 1M meals, with over 300 fridges installed at sites across France.
According to the company, all of the food preparation and delivery staff have permanent contracts. Foodles works with small to medium-sized local suppliers and creates more than 250 indirect jobs.
Raised €42M
Currently, the company is targeting hospitality, corporate, and real-estate industries to make high-quality, fresh, affordable food available to employees around the clock. Foodles dishes are priced between £3.5 and £5.
Further, the company aims to help employers create a sociable working environment to enhance the connection of time spent in the office and break the culture of eating at desks.
Foodles is a step change from traditional canteens or ‘grab and go’ options, providing employers with a cost-effective perk for their staff.
Since its inception, the company has raised over €42M in funding from various investors, including InfraVia Growth Partners, Bpifrance Large Venture, Creadev, DN Capital, and Adelie.
