Mustard At Home: The SA expat pandemic-born business that made it

London-based SA expat company Mustard At Home is a pandemic-born business that made it. Let’s find out how.

Three years post-pandemic, UK-based meal delivery service Mustard At Home continues to grow.

Led by South African-born entrepreneur James Durrant, Mustard At Home was a creative solution to keeping the company, and employee livelihoods, afloat during a global economic crisis.

Prior to the pandemic, parent company Mustard Foods developed bespoke food products for London restaurants and hotels. As hospitality establishments shut their doors, many food production facilities, including Mustard, had to pivot to retail quickly.

“We were extremely fortunate to have support from our South West London community to make Mustard At Home a success,” says Durrant.

The London-based frozen food retailer specialises in gourmet ready meals, soups, and sauces. The range includes fragrant curries like Chicken Tikka Masala, authentic Italian pasta sauces like Salsiccia Ragu, and child-friendly meals like creamy Mac & Cheese. Their meals come in 1.2kg portions, enough to feed a family of four or five.

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WHAT’S THE SECRET TO LONGEVITY FOR A PANDEMIC-BORN BUSINESS? 

“We basically converted the business overnight. A friend created the website and we took photos over the weekend to start trading on Monday. The key was being one of the first to pivot to retail, but now we’ve retained those customers through consistent quality,” says Durrant.

Mustard At Home regularly launches new products which keeps their audience engaged, along with occasional specials and discounts which customers receive in their weekly newsletter.

“I think many people started a pandemic business out of boredom or as a side hustle and then lost interest. Mustard At Home has been a success because we give it the time and energy it takes to make it work,” says Durrant.

HOW CAN YOU ORDER FROM MUSTARD AT HOME? 

Unfortunately Mustard At Home only delivers to UK customers at the moment. You can visit https://shop.mustardfoods.com/ to check if they deliver to your area. Delivery turnaround is a speedy two days which has contributed to their success. Customers simply need to choose a dish, choose a date, and frozen meals are delivered straight to their doorstep.

With so many meal delivery services on offer, in both the UK and South Africa, the only way for food companies to stand out is through consistency and efficiency.

Readers of The South African receive 25% off their first order. Use the discount code SA25OFF at checkout.