Pelico, Bristol

Working outside of Bristol’s City Centre can often mean that when the hour of luncheon is nigh, the options for satisfying those hunger pangs are few and far between. Those working in North Bristol (I’m referring to the likes of Aztec West, UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus and the multitude of establishments that inhabit the nearby business park), have an arguably raw deal – given that succumbing to the University’s rather pricey catering outlets is second to a sweaty power-walk to the closest Sainsbury’s. If you’ve got more than thirty-minutes or a set of wheels at your disposal, you could bag yourself the likes of a McChicken Sandwich, a cheeky Nandos or the best that Costa Coffee has to offer at the Gallagher Retail Park, but if not, you may well be particularly interested in the post that follows…

Date and Time: Friday 20 January 2017, 12:30pm
Name of Service: Pelico, Bristol*
Location: Currently delivers to UWE Bristol (Frenchay Campus), Aztec West, the Bristol Business Park and BS1
Reason for using this Service: Limited lunchtime options

Working for UWE Bristol means that interaction with the student population is commonplace and this, besides provoking a degree of bemusement, (“so you’ve set up a hammock on the VC’s lawn”…“Are flip flops really appropriate footwear for November?”…And so on), the innovation and creativity that they bring to the workplace that I’ve been committed to for the last eleven years is one of the major plus points amidst the day-to-day grind. And, amongst the engineers, architects, music therapists and graphic designers are the Team Entrepreneurship students –  those enrolled upon a course that encourages individuals to build on their business aspirations beyond that of a prototype in order to start-up their own company to generate revenue from us; the general public. Enter Pelico – the brainchild of co-founders Alex and Leyth who have set up a lunchtime distribution service that strive ‘to deliver nutritionally balanced meals that taste great’. And trust me…they really do! For just over a humble fiver, you can order a lunchbox to rival that belonging to your next-desk-neighbour right up until Midday; for same-day delivery. Today (with my newcomer discount of 25% off), I bagged myself a Teriyaki Chicken with Coconut Kale and Broccoli ensemble which was piping hot, packed with flavour and so generously portioned that I actually considered saving a few forkfuls for later, (though this of course, didn’t happen). The alternative option was a veggie-friendly 3-Bean Chilli Burrito with Guacamole which I could have scoffed just as easily. Furthermore, the courier arrived promptly, as per the time slot I had opted for as part of the ordering process and was both smiley and efficient - top marks all round there then!

Pelico’s menu changes every day and you can sign up to one of three 30-day lunch plans which allows you to bulk-buy voucher codes to make each lunchtime delivery (within the forthcoming month) decreasingly expensive based on the number you purchase. Lunches are created from scratch and ingredients are organic and locally-sourced so if supporting independent businesses is your bag (which quite frankly, it should be), this is your best bet for sustenance with soul. I think it’s also notable that, with sustainability at the core of their ethos, Pelico boxes its meals in biodegradable pulp boxes; striving to limit the waste produced and donating any leftovers to Bristol’s homeless. Electric vehicles* are used to deliver meals to UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus, Aztec West, Bristol Business Park and most recently, BS1 meaning that fundamentally, you can feel that you’re doing your bit for the environment whilst having a right old chow down!

In conclusion, I suggest that my first experience of Pelico certainly won’t be my last and I would encourage anyone in their catchment area to follow suit and order yourself a blinder of a lunch. Your taste buds will undoubtedly thank you for it.

References:
*https://www.pelicobristol.co.uk
*www.co-wheels.org.uk