Cateys 2018: Best Use of Technology Award – Dine Delivered

Sponsored by Bookatable

 

Dine Catering was founded in 1998 by Daniel Gill with the aim of bringing high-end event catering to the north of England. The business, which is based in Leeds, now operates at 205 client catering facilities in the business and industry sector across the UK, with an annual turnover of £35m.

 

With customer expectations evolving, Gill recognised that the business had to evolve too. Clients were demanding ever-greater convenience, and increasingly that meant ordering online, so he and the Dine team came up with Dine Delivered. Not just a straight- forward delivery service, Dine Delivered offers a component-led, online hospitality platform featuring patent-pending technology that dynamically suggests menus and food options for the customer.

 

This makes specifying all the ingredients for a successful event straightforward for the client as well as the business as it can deliver high-end event food that doesn’t automatically require the added expense of a full team, either for the planning stages or the delivery.

 

The website, featuring the firm’s own ‘MenuMind’ technology, is a complex, dynamic platform that will process 16,500 pieces of data per transaction, ensuring all dietary requirements and every detail that a customer would need about the menus are available. The menus have all been created by the chefs at Dine, and the company has also designed bespoke packaging for the dishes.

 

Everything is prepared on-site in Leeds, and orders are delivered nationwide through a partnership with DPD, which has significantly extended the scope of the business. In addition, Dine says that the overall product is remarkably cost effective â€" and that it can deliver a better experience at a comparable cost to supermarkets.

 

The technology and its set-up was a considerable investment, but having opened up the business to a whole new consumer market, it has prompted some ambitious growth targets â€" figures it would be tough to bet against the business achieving.

 

Meanwhile, the aim is to scale up Dine Delivered again through a future partnership with a national online retailer such as Ocado, so the future is looking bright for the business and its online delivery arm.

 

What the judges said

 

“Not only is the business model unique but the execution has been handled well. The website just works. The user experience is clean, leaving the client in full control. I’m excited to see how this business progresses.”
James Barnard

 

“I’m impressed by the way a local business has been able to become a national one through clever use of technology. Being comparatively small, the business has capitalised on its size by being dynamic and quickly developing a great website.”
Liz Marlow

 

“This is great innovation in a challenging market and a local provider going national with sound insight and investment. It’s use of technology of the highest order.”
Carl Weldon

---

 

The shortlist

 

Casual Dining Group

 

CATERed

 

Cheval Residences

 

Dine Delivered

 

Imperial London Hotels

 

The judges

 

James Barnard Digital designer, M Restaurants

 

Charles Boyd Director, 8 Northumberland Avenue

 

Duncan Cressall Regional director, UPP Residential Services

 

Liz Marlow Senior social media manager, Sodexo

 

Stephen Minall Director, Moving Food

 

Mike O’Mahoney Chief financial officer, Giggling Squid Restaurants

 

Jane Pendlebury Chief executive, HOSPA

 

Diana Spellman Managing director, Partners in Purchasing

 

Carl Weldon Chief operating officer â€" Europe, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals

 

Get The Caterer every week on your smartphone, tablet, or even in good old-fashioned hard copy (or all three!).