UK-based food start-up, Cook My Grub, has revealed major growth plans that will offer over 1,000 chefs a unique opportunity to undergo further professional training and start their own business after the COVID-19 pandemic left the hospitality sector in disarray.

Following a highly successful funding round earlier in the year – which saw Cook My Grub exceeding its initial fundraising target by 150% and raising over £750,000 in just four weeks – the plans have been revealed as part of the next stage in the start-up’s growth.

As part of the expansion, Cook My Grub – which is the UK’s leading marketplace for home-cooked food that cannot be found on the high street – intends to recruit and train over 1,000 food enthusiasts and talented professional chefs. The recruitment drive will provide a unique opportunity for chefs to earn between £500 – £750 per week by setting up their own home food business within their local community, with the opportunity to earn more following additional awareness of the platform.

The founders Dinesh Patil and Shabbir Mookhtiar, said: “Since Cook My Grub’s launch 12 months ago, we’ve seen outstanding demand amongst consumers for our unique offering, which is helping to build healthier, happier, and wealthier communities across the UK. As we enter the next stage of our growth, we anticipate needing over 1,000 new chefs on our platform to serve our ever-increasing demand. We can’t wait to welcome, train and support all those that want to join our exciting culinary community.”

As part of Cook My Grub’s Hygiene Promise, every new chef that joins the platform is trained in allergy awareness and Hygiene Level 2, and supported with all local council registrations, providing new learning and development opportunities for local cooks.

Cook My Grub’s pioneering platform allows home chefs to develop personal profiles before preparing healthy meals that are delivered to their locals’ doors. It is an industry-first and is expected to consolidate the home-cooked food market by providing a simple and user-friendly structure to an otherwise disorganised sector.

Upon opening the platform, customers are presented with a wide selection of cuisines from home chefs who have set up their own food business, which provide the flexibility to decide when, what and how much they cook. Customers can order on the day or pre-order several days or even weeks in advance before enjoying their meal, secure in the knowledge that their food has been safely prepared within the confines of the Food Standard Authority’s framework.