Deliveroo puts pressure on UberEats with Lunchbox service
In an effort to shore itself up against a growing field of competition, Deliveroo is offering a £6 ($8) restaurant "lunchbox" service for customers in The City and Canary Wharf. The food itself is prepared in "Editions", which are small delivery-only kitchens built by Deliveroo. The service already has support from popular food chains such as Franca Manca, Motu and Yoobi Sushi, helping Deliveroo distinguish itself from its main rival UberEats, which already delivers McDonald's across London.

It's midday, your stomach is growling and you haven't brought a packed lunch. You could go outside and queue for some Pret a Manger, or — if you live in east London — you could try Deliveroo's new Lunchbox service. It's a £6 meal deal from various restaurant partners including Motu, Yoobi Sushi, Franco Manca, BabaBoom and Mother Clucker. The service is available between 12 and 3pm, Monday to Friday, and the menu changes at the start of every week. Food is prepared in "Editions" — delivery-only kitchens built by Deliveroo — and can be dropped off almost anywhere in "The City" or Canary Wharf. (More places will be added over time.)

The food delivery business is hugely competitive in the UK. Deliveroo is up against UberEats — which already offers breakfast, McDonalds and scheduled deliveries in the capital — Amazon, and the combined might of Just Eat and Hungryhouse, which was recently allowed to merge by the Competition and Markets Authority. Deliveroo is growing rapidly because of its prices and, more importantly, brand recognition — it was one of the first companies to offer lyrca-clad bicycle couriers in the UK. That's no guarantee of future success, however. To keep its rivals at bay, Deliveroo will need more ideas like Editions and its subscription-based Plus service.