Updated: Apr 13, 2020
It is often the case that from hardship comes opportunity and that has certainly been the case for our team at On Safari Foods. The opportunity that has emerged from the coronavirus crisis is food delivery in Seattle. What does this mean? Once it became clear that the virus had pretty much wiped out our traditional catering business, we put our heads together to think about what we could do to keep as many of our 65 employees as possible at work. The answer came quickly. Create a new online menu of frozen food entrees that are available for delivery or pickup in Seattle. We started with a few of our most popular menu items and are constantly adding more options to accommodate vegans, vegetarians, and families.
And it’s taken off. Our model is a little different from traditional food delivery services. We can be a valuable tool in your weekly meal planning. Simply browse our online menu and select meals to serve later in the week. At dinner time, simply pop your meal – available in single servings or servings for 2 or 4 – into the microwave or oven, and voila! – dinner is served. And you can feel good knowing that you are giving your family food made using only antibiotic and hormone-free proteins and sustainably sourced produce.
Why use our food delivery service in Seattle?
We think there are a few good reasons. Firstly, there is no need to socially distance at the grocery store – in fact, there is no need to go to the grocery store and scan the aisles for what is available. Secondly, because our meals are available in individual portions, you can serve each member of your household a different dinner. Vegans will love our mushroom and cashew curry. Meat-lovers will devour our South African chicken curry. And because you already know what you are serving for dinner, there is no last-minute scramble for restaurant delivery. Unlike meal-kit delivery services, we don't require you to sign-up for an ongoing weekly subscription. Just order what and when you like. Finally, you save time and effort because you don’t have to prepare and cook dinner and cleanup is a breeze.
And our customers agree:
“We just finished a “Heat & Eat” dinner from On Safari Foods and it was wonderful. It was full of flavor, easy to order, I cannot make food like this and easy for my teen to get ready while I was working. Ordering this made Tuesday dinner so easy. Seriously, the website is easy to use. I picked it up yesterday, so all we had to do was pop it in the oven. Thank you to OSF!” ~ Jennifer A via Facebook.
“Last week I was sick of my own cooking so I decided to purchase some of On Safari's frozen meals. I ordered the chicken tagine online and went to pick it up at their cafe in SODO. Super easy. Super tasty. Thanks for helping to feed me. I'll be doing it again soon.” ~ Jill H via Facebook.
A few of the favorites on our food delivery menu:
FRESH ENTREES
Chicken Nicoise Salad - Classic Nicoise Salad with mixed greens, grilled chicken, haricot vert, Nicoise olives, red potatoes, and cherry tomatoes.
Vietnamese bun bowl with tofu (vegan) or chicken - Lemongrass marinated chicken or grilled tofu with rice noodles, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, shredded lettuce, mint, Thai basil and chopped peanuts with Nunc Mam Cham.
Singapore Chicken – A refreshing chicken dish is served over Singapore noodles and balanced with a delicious peanut sauce. Served fresh.
FROZEN VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN ENTREES
Eggplant Parmesan - Melt in the mouth Southern Italian recipe consists of layer upon layer of thinly sliced eggplant, with San Marzano marinara sauce, mozzarella, and parmigiana. Add a side of penne pasta.
Saag Paneer – Cooked spinach studded with delicious cubes of paneer cheese. Add a side of basmati rice.
Butternut Squash and Lentil Tagine - Slowly simmered in fragrant North African spice, with apricots, garbanzo beans, and tomatoes. Add a side of couscous.
CHICKEN, BEEF OR PORK ENTREES
South African Chicken Curry - A traditional South Indian curry scented with ginger, garlic, masalas, onion, and tomato. Add a side of cinnamon-scented rice.
Pork Chile Verde – Hormone and antibiotic-free pork simmered slowly in a green chili and tomatillo sauce. Add a side of rice and beans.
Thai Red Curry with Chicken - Succulent chicken simmered in a red curry and coconut milk sauce.
FROZEN OR WOODFIRED PIZZAS
Holy Creole! - 12" pizza with San Marzano marinara sauce, roasted peppers, roasted sweet onion, house-made Creole pork sausage, and mozzarella.
The Goat - 12" pizza with San Marzano marinara, roasted peppers and onions, and goat cheese.
The Med - 12" pizza with San Marzano marinara, house-made rosemary and garlic lamb sausage, cumin roasted butternut squash, roasted chickpeas, and feta cheese.
And now for something a little different
We’ve added a few unexpected gems to our food delivery service. We know that keeping the kids occupied while stuck at home is growing more challenging by the day. So, we’ve created two DYI cookie-making kits. One is a shortbread cookie kit complete with icing sugar for decorating and the other is pre-mixed chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin dough – ready for shaping, baking, and eating!
For adults who may be getting a little antsy, our food delivery service also includes a DYI pizza-making kit. If you add a bottle of our wine of the week, you can settle in for a perfect date night.
A meal delivery service in Seattle that prioritizes your safety
Please take comfort in the fact that we are making every effort to maintain our high standards of cleanliness for you and our workforce alike:
We have coordinated our staff to limit unnecessary interaction and to allow for optimal social distancing. Those who can, work from home, while the rest of our office team is spread out within social distancing guidelines.
With a 3,300 square foot kitchen, our small team of cooks has plenty of room to spread out and maintain their own workspace.
Our staff is using the highest level of care when handling food by wearing King County Health Department-approved protective gear. They have also increased their diligence in sanitation practices. All our team members who work with the public wear masks and gloves at all times.
We are going above and beyond the King County Health Department's suggestions and opting to sanitize all the surfaces in our entire facility frequently throughout the day, doubling down on high touch areas - especially doorknobs and countertops.
We have encouraged our entire team to take their health very seriously, and if anyone has even the slightest sniffle, they are not allowed to enter the workplace, and must stay home to rest and quarantine for at least 14 days.ur new online ordering system also gave us the opportunity to rethink how we can support folks better this Easter. We are pleased to offer two complete individually packaged Easter meals – for lunch or dinner – that will be available for pickup this Saturday, April 11th. Order a complete meal for yourself, or allow your household to pick and choose their own menu for Easter. You may also want to order a meal for a family member, friend or neighbor living alone. Set up a Zoom meeting forEaster Sunday so everyone can enjoy their On Safari Foods Easter meal together – separately.
Doing good with food delivery in Seattle
In this crazy and uncertain time, we were looking for a way to make a difference for some of the people who are most directly impacted by the coronavirus crisis – families in need and first responders. We realized that many of our customers would want to help folks too. So, we have set up a few opportunities on our ordering site for you to donate meals to the West Seattle Food Bank or to First Responders.
The West Seattle Food Bank is seeing a massive increase in demand for food as the reality of not receiving a paycheck sets in for many families. You can choose to donate in increments of $15 on our online ordering site. Your donation will send healthy prepared meals to families in need.
You can also choose to donate money that will go towards meals for first responders including the paramedics, nurses, and doctors who are on the frontlines of fighting the virus for all of us. We will match your donation up to 500 meals.
If you have already ordered from our food delivery menu, thank you! Your support means everything to us.
On Safari Foods is a Seattle caterer specializing in sustainable wedding and event catering and corporate foodservice.