A fifteen minute walk in the cold versus experiencing the full offerings of Fatty Lane from bed for a $5 delivery fee – this choice is becoming shamefully easy. Kiwi-owned delivery platform, Delivereasy, has recently shed light upon customer statistics, revealing the tendency for tauira across the country to opt in for convenience and out of in-person interaction.
Delivereasy goes beyond just the convenience of food delivery. As put by cofounder Tim Robinson, the app’s delivery options are endless: “The crushed garlic your flatmate finished off, a box of drinks for the spontaneous pres, or the Panadol you meant to buy but didn’t – it’s exactly what I wish we’d had back in my Otago Uni days.”
In the past year, Delivereasy’s insights indicate that Dunedin tauira prefer the classic burger-fries-and-shake-combo when it comes to food delivery. In comparison, the rest of Aotearoa’s student population has showcased a tad more flare. Statistics suggest the following student-food pairings: Christchurch and Pad Thai, Wellington and deep fried wontons, Palmerston North and butter chicken, Hamilton and garlic naan, and Auckland and Birria tacos. Perhaps the Jaffa’s are seeking a new and funky form of escapism from the dull reality of Auckland’s student life, or maybe Ōtepoti’s vanilla tastebuds have just been exposed. Should we be stepping up our game?
Taking their customer statistics as an indication of the importance of food delivery to the student lifestyle, Tim reckons that delivery, “isn’t a splurge anymore – it’s a part of how [students] get through the week. A lot of the time, we see people picking [side dishes] to level up whatever they’ve cooked at home, or grabbing a quick bite that won’t completely nuke the Studylink budget.”
However, not all students are sold on the price tag associated with such convenience, favouring food delivery as an emergency response, rather than a regular method to feed yourself. Rebecca* told Critic Te Ārohi, “I use it when I have a broken heart and also want a broken bank [...] Up the midnight Pad Thai, it fixes everything.” For others, it’s the sort of wildcard saved for those special kinds of post-town, 2AM antics. Second year student Sam* confessed “It’s too easy. The click of a button and the Macca’s is at your doorstep, then you wake up in the morning and realise the money’s actually left your fucking account.” Funny how that works.
Whatever your go to order, who could possibly say no to enlisting the magical fairy (otherwise known as the blessed food delivery driver) to drop off your comfort meal when it’s raining, cold, and the only food in the flat is probably a biohazard? Clearly not Ōtepoti students.
*Names Changed
