South Australian ready-meal business Local Kitchen Co has become the first in the state to enable Support at Home (SaH) and NDIS participants to walk into a store and buy pre-made, nourishing meals using their package funding.
For the past three years, Local Kitchen Co has served package customers only through its online delivery platform.
From today, registered customers will now be able to shop in-person at Local Kitchen Co stores in Malvern, Parkside, Glenelg, Port Elliot and Modbury, and choose from the full range of fresh and frozen meals, including fresh gourmet salads that were previously harder to access through delivery.
Until now, people living on SaH or NDIS packages have had no choice but to order online due to administrative compliance – and often frozen meals – which restricts their choice and prevents them from seeing and choosing food in physical locations, including fresh salads.
Sarsha Harvey, founder and CEO of Local Kitchen Co, said the change was about giving SaH and NDIS package customers the same experience as any other customer who walked through the door.
“For three years, our SaH and NDIS customers have had to order online and wait for a delivery,” she said.
“Many of them live just down the road from one of our stores. They want to come in, have a chat with our team, see what's fresh that day and pick something that takes their fancy. We're so pleased we can finally offer that to them.
“Choice and independence are at the heart of both SaH and the NDIS. Being able to walk in and choose your own nourishing meals, including our fresh salads, is a small thing that makes a real difference to people's day.”
To buy meals in-store using package funding, customers must first be registered or have an account set up with Local Kitchen Co through their SaH or NDIS provider.
Customers can fast-track a meal service with Local Kitchen Co by contacting their provider to complete an application on the Local Kitchen Co website.
Once approved by their provider, customers can shop at any Local Kitchen Co store at any time during opening hours. Local Kitchen Co will then invoice the customer’s provider directly, and customers pay only their contribution towards the cost of ingredients in store.
Home delivery through the Local Kitchen Co online platform will also continue.
