19 May,2011 11:18 AM IST | | Melissa D'costa
French breads, cheeses and exclusive gourmet goodies are now just a mouse click away thanks to a Frenchman who recognised India's love for all things edible
As the mercury levels rise a notch higher, stepping out of home is nothing short of gruelling. Dragging a cart and manoeuvring it through the aisles of your local supermarket is probably the last thing you want to do on a sweltering day.
But you don't have to. Just log on to deliciousnow.com instead. The just-launched online gourmet store is the brainchild of French businessman Adrien De Montalembert. Montalembert left home so he could travel through Asia. Winding through Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia and Singapore, he made his way to India.
"The French love their food. Eating is like a celebration, a feast of the senses. I wanted to translate this love for food into a business. I chose India because food is just as important for people here," he says.
Deliciousnow is headquartered in Delhi, but Montalembert promises to deliver goodies all over the country, right to your doorstep. Shipping charges and handling fees are charged in addition to a product's price.
What's in store?
With around 500 products to choose from, Deliciousnow has an interesting mix of items including groceries, French bread, pastries and organic products. What works for the site is its systematic product categorisation, attractive photographs and price tags for each item.
We like the addition of exclusive products: bakery and pastry items from DGF, a variety of French mustards from Maille, and chocolates from Maxim's.
Comfort at a price
While there is no minimum order, shipping and delivery charges to cities outside Delhi are applicable according to weight. So, shopping using deliciousnow.com makes sense only if you are ordering more than one item, since the minimum cost for delivery is R 1,500 for a package weighing between one and five kg.
Keeping it fresh
For all states except Delhi, Deliciousnow ships and packs as follows -- perishableu00a0 products like cheese are placed in a sealed box that then goes into a thermocol container made of expanded polystyrene. The Lisotherme (a one litre vegetable refrigerant gel pack which keeps perishables cool for up to 48 hours while in transit) is placed above the box and inside the thermocol container.
Deliciousnow delivers products within Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon in eco-friendly bags placed inside an ice box made of expanded polystyrene and covered with Lisotherme gel.u00a0 Even delivery bikes are equipped with ice boxes.
Log onto: www.deliciousnow.com
The site has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/deliciousnow and Twitter at https://twitter.com/deliciousnow
Payment: Cash on delivery
