Brought to you by McCain Foodservice Solutions

A huge congratulations goes out to In the Belly Deli in Killarney Gardens, Cape Town! They have been named as one of the winners of McCain Foodservice Solutions’ Dishruption Challenge. The purpose of this initiative was to give independent restaurateurs a little leg-up during the ever-challenging conditions imposed by COVID-19 on the restaurant industry in South Africa.

We caught up with In the Belly Deli, a small local gem of an establishment that does seasonal home-cooked meals, sensational dinner deliveries and takeaways for everyday convenience. They are unique for their ever-changing menu – they offer a variety of different meals weekly to keep things fresh, fun and, of course, super tasty! You can make every day an occasion with In the Belly Deli delivered straight to your doorstep.

Inspiration behind the menu

Chef Lize is the head chef and mastermind behind the adaptable menu at In the Belly Deli. With a three-year diploma under her belt and nine years’ worth of entrepreneurship and experience in the food industry, we can see why locals are so fond of her home-cooked meals.

In the Belly Deli’s legendary Hashwood Brekkie Brunch was the menu item entered by the restaurant into the competition.

“To see the smile on my customers’ faces every time they enjoy their meal.” This is what Chef Lize says inspires the wonderful food that comes out of In the Belly Deli. “I love to see the passion coming from other chefs and that also inspires me. It is challenging to produce meals that satisfy clients. I love the creativity needed to do this.”

Belly Deli on COVID constraints

The biggest challenge In the Belly Deli faced during COVID was a decline in foot traffic coming into the restaurant, which undoubtedly placed pressure on their business model. Along with that came a lot of stress, but in response, In the Belly Deli adapted their strategy. They started focusing on what people needed during these challenging and stressful times.

“We started a delivery service within Killarney Gardens,” says Chef Lize. This brought the locals their much-loved Belly Deli favourites conveniently to their doorstep. A taste of nostalgia and normalcy, but from the comfort and safety of their homes.

The biggest learning for In the Belly Deli over the past year is that as a restaurant, you must always keep pushing and moving forward and keeping clients interested.

The prize money – a beacon of hope

The prize money signifies prosperity and opportunity to grow In the Belly Deli. The plan is to pump it back into the restaurant where key elements such as more professional advertising, improving the quality of the deliveries, and introducing Belly Deli signature packaging will receive some serious TLC. In turn, this will serve to boost sales, client satisfaction and higher quality food products.

“Planning meetings on a regular basis is so important now and making sure that we implement what was discussed,” says Chef Lize. “Staying focused on our end goal of getting more clients remains imperative, now more than ever.”

COVID has forced a new era of restaurants in general, ones that must be creative, adaptable and innovative. Initiatives like McCain Foodservice Solutions’ Insider Club help the restaurant industry in several ways. They foster creativity by giving challenges to the industry, which serves to grow the restaurant industry in South Africa. As a result, restaurants are becoming more resilient. Restaurant-quality home deliverables are a booming trend we can only attribute to the unique conditions imposed by the pandemic.

Read more about the Dishruption challenge and winners here.