“Supper clubs have been around for a while, it’s as old as the hills. What we’re doing is providing the infrastructure” says Seni Glaister, founder and CEO of WeFiFo (short for We Find Food). The startup is a marketplace for food events and supper clubs, similar to Airbnb, the platform allows people to open up their homes as hosts to foodie evenings.
Glaister hopes to connect people through food, with the help of some tech. “It’s more relevant than ever before as we tackle the loneliness issue” says Glaister.
“I’ve walked up and down a high street to find somewhere welcoming to eat by myself,” she says. “Being able to go and join a conversation is such a healthy thing, for your mental and physical health, and I want more men and women to feel comfortable to be single and join a table.”
A study in 2017 revealed that almost half of all meals in the UK are eaten alone and 34 per cent of UK adults can go a whole week without eating a meal alongside someone else.
As a guest using WeFiFo, the process is simple – all you need to do is select an event you’d like to attend, pay, show up, eat food, and leave a review afterwards.
For hosts, they can train for their Level 2 Food Certificate, paid completely by WeFiFo. “We give a lot of support – get their domestic kitchen checked by their local environmental health officers, so all of our home cooks have their five-star food rating, so it’s safe for guests and hosts,” explains Glaister.
Everybody wins. People get to delicious food, home cooks get to test out their talents and hosts can pick up some new skills, and everyone gets a little more time to engage and connect.
