The European Union has partnered with UAE-born grocery delivery platform el Grocer to bring ready-to-cook recipe boxes to Dubai.
The partnership forms a part of the EU’s ‘More than Food’ communications campaign and addresses increasing consumer demand for European food imports. In the first quarter of 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, EU farm exports to the GCC grew 25% compared to Q1 2019.
As more UAE consumers look to online channels to buy essential items, the ‘More than Food’ recipe box initiative aims to make it easy and convenient for customers to incorporate EU foods into their daily meals. According to Visa’s COVID-19 CEMEA Impact Tracker, two-thirds of UAE consumers surveyed said that COVID-19 has led to their first online grocery purchase.
Working with food blogger and cookbook author Zahra Abdalla to create recipes using European ingredients sourced from importer and grocer EuroMercato, the ‘More than Food’ recipe boxes promise easy-to-follow cooking instructions and authentic European flavours.
Available on the el Grocer app until August 17, customers will have five recipe boxes to choose from: Mediterranean Puff Pastry Tart, One Pot Summer Pasta with Salmon, Roasted Chicken Salad with Spinach, and Roasted Peppers, gluten-free Thumbprint Cookies and Tiramisu. All recipe cards link to instructional videos from Zahra Abdalla in which she explains the quality, safety and authenticity merits of each EU ingredient being used.
The EU will now look to run similar initiatives in other GCC markets.
