OKay and Foodbag launch no-subscription recipe boxes

The OKay convenience stores are the first in Belgium to offer recipe boxes from the Belgian specialist Foodbag. The ‘One Meal Box’ contains all the ingredients for a two-person meal and is for sale in the store, without the need for a subscription or reservation. A fast, easy and flexible solution, and also extremely fresh, Belgian and sustainable. The One Meal Box was specially developed for OKay and will be available from 8 May in 38 shops and later this year also in the other OKay stores. The two-person meal sells at EUR 14.95.

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

No subscription or reservation needed
​ With the One Meal Box, OKay and Foodbag have reinvented the concept of recipe boxes. For example, the box contains one single dish for two people, while other boxes often contain three. The box is also for sale in the shop itself: customers do not need to take out a subscription or make a reservation in advance. “Together with Foodbag, we have optimised the One Meal Box to the needs of our customers,” says Michon van Doorn, OKay Marketing Manager. “We have noticed a declining trend in the fixed weekly menu. If you are looking for last-minute inspiration for an easy, tasty and nutritious meal, then the existing recipe boxes are of little use. Our One Meal Box, on the other hand, can be taken from the shelf together with your other groceries, without having to consider pickup time slots or delivery times. The box is therefore a valuable addition to our in-store range.

Belgian, sustainable and fresh
​ OKay and Foodbag have created with the One Meal Box a perfect blend of speed and convenience with quality. In the Foodbag cooking studio in Ghent, our chefs compose balanced recipes, with an eye for variety and nutritional values. They work mainly with Belgian products that have been sustainably produced and some of which are organic. Foodbag has long been relying on local growers and food producers for this task. That is how the recipe box specialist has ensured that the chain between producer and shop is sufficiently short to guarantee optimum freshness and quality.

From classics to street food
​ The One Meal Box arrives in stores every week in three versions: meat, fish and vegetarian. The box contains all the necessary ingredients: meat, fish or vegetables, fresh herbs, dairy, pasta, potatoes or grains. The menu has classics such as salmon with a sauce of shallots and thyme sauce together with penne, stuffed peppers or oven-baked sausage with red cabbage. Other dishes are more inspired by street food, such as wraps with spicy meat filling, pad thai with lime dressing or wok with glazed pork strips. All recipes are easy to prepare in half-an-hour or less.

Partnership made in heaven
​ OKay and Foodbag found the obvious partner to put a recipe box on the market together. “Foodbag's values fit seamlessly with ours. We too prefer to develop sustainable partnerships with local suppliers,” says Michon van Doorn, OKay Marketing Manager. Conversely, Foodbag promises quick and easy solutions, fully in line with what OKay wishes to offer its customers. Anders Asarby & Stéphane Ronse, CEOs of Foodbag: “It has always been our mission to help people eat better. That's why we home deliver inspiring menus together with fresh ingredients. Now we are going one step further, with a solution for shoppers in a physical store who want to quickly cook up a delicious meal. A healthy, fast and home-made alternative to a microwave meal.