After months of beta testing, PichaEats has officially launched its Ready-to-Heat Meals and subscription plan. The microwavable meals were introduced in a live event on Facebook (@PichaEats), where Suzanne Ling, PichaEats’ co-founder and chief marketing officer, hosted a cooking show with KL-based British fitness personality Jacob Weber, as well as actress, television host and MixFM radio announcer Aishah Sinclair. In case you missed out the official launch live event, you can watch it back here!
The trio prepared a fan-favourite from PichaEats’, the Za’atar Roast Chicken, which is also available in the November menu of Ready-to-Heat Meals. Suzanne guided Aishah and Jacob on the ingredients and steps involved, and they then tasted the version they prepared along with a microwaved meal version.
Suffice to say, both tasted equally good, which is a testament of the fresh ingredients and wholesome flavours the Picha Chefs put into their food – all prepared with a good ratio of protein, carbs and greens that contain no preservatives or MSG.
During the live show, Suzanne also shared more about how the social enterprise had to pivot due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which adversely affected the livelihood of their chefs, all of whom are refugees here in Malaysia. Initially planned as a trial product to generate income for them, the team quickly recognised the potential of frozen meals in meeting a new need in the market. As more and more people stay home often, they are nevertheless looking for better meal alternatives to supplement cooking daily and/or regular food deliveries and instant foods.
One of them is Jacob, a Type 1 diabetic well-known for documenting the challenges he faces with eating well on his Instagram and Facebook accounts (Kinetic Diabetic). For him, the Ready-To-Heat Meals are ideal as he simply cannot afford to miss a meal, but still have to keep an eye out for nutritionally-balanced options.
Available in bundles of 3, 6 or 9 meals, the Ready-To-Heat Meals can be ordered on a subscription basis, where the same number of meals will be automatically re-ordered and delivered to customers each month in one go. Fret not, the menu is refreshed on a monthly basis, ensuring a good variety.
You can choose from the pre-determined standard meals package or the build-your-own plus package. The latter allows customers to choose their preferred dishes, including from a specially curated premium selection. Add-ons are also available, as PichaEats have partnered with the likes of Amazin’ Graze, Tapping Tapir, Wonderbrew and more to offer their products.
“Think Netflix or Spotify. The unique idea behind the subscription plan is to help people save time without sacrificing the importance of having a good, wholesome meal. And the proceeds go towards maintaining the livelihood of our team of refugee Picha Chefs,” says PichaEats co-founder and CEO, Kim Lim.
“We do the meal prep for you and there’s no clean up to do after as well, which frees up your time for other things. You also know what goes into your food – including the calorie count – so you don’t have to worry if what you’re eating is bad for you,” adds Suzanne.
As part of the launch, a month-long campaign will take place, centred on the theme of ‘If Only I Had More Time’. A social media challenge and giveaway has been announced, to encourage PichaEats’ customers and the general public to explore what they will do with the time saved from having to shop, prepare, cook and wash up for every meal.
There will also be three additional cooking shows on Facebook, featuring actor and comedian Douglas Lim; content creator Nandini Balakrishnan; and TV host and radio announcer Michelle Lee. Each will prepare a new dish from the November Ready-to-Heat menu.
These meals are delivered on every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. To order, you can WhatsApp at +60 18-289 4353 or check out their website at https://rthm.pichaeats.com/order
