It’s O-fish-al: Fish And Chips Are The Catch Of The Day For Kiwi Food Delivery

Classic Kiwi fish and chips never went out of fashion, but new data shows one of the country’s most iconic dishes is more popular than ever.

Research from online food delivery platform Menulog reveals a 536% increase in orders of fish and chips on its platform in the last year.

There are a number of reasons for the increase, however a key driver is the rise in popularity of restaurants offering freshly caught fish and gourmet fish and chip options.

Junbin Weng, owner of Master Seafood in Christchurch, has seen a significant increase in demand in the last year and he is doing more orders than ever before.

He puts it down to people being more discerning and wanting better quality dishes as well as more variety.

“People want fish and chips no matter what time of the year, but they are demanding something more from the humble dish that takes it to the next level.”

“That comes down to using fresh fish. We offer seven different types of fish for our fish and chips and it is all fresh – we would never use anything that has been frozen.”

Mr Weng took over Master Seafood from his uncle two years ago, in the middle of the first Covid outbreak meaning lockdowns impacted the business. “We just kept going. We knew what we needed to do and that was to focus on making sure our fish and chips are consistently good quality and fresh.”

Being a solely takeaway business, Mr Weng says delivery services such as Menulog are key and it enables the business to extend its reach and offer its food to new customers.

To meet customer demand for a wider range of cuisines, many seafood restaurants are also putting a contemporary spin on classic fish and chips by also offering bao buns, tacos, seafood platters, and ika mata (raw fish salad).

Orders of seafood dishes like fish tacos and seafood platters underwent a year on year increase of 252%.

The increase in fish and chip and seafood orders on Menulog also coincides with the launch of its delivery service early last year and the growth of restaurant partners on the platform. There are more than 3000 restaurants using Menulog for delivery and online ordering in 80 cities and towns around New Zealand.

Menulog Commercial Director Rory Murphy says Menulog is committed to helping restaurants grow order demand and provide greater choice for customers across the country.

“The increase in fish and chip and seafood orders on the platform is significant. It’s a great indicator of Kiwis not only continuing to support their favourite local restaurants, but the growing number of customers on the platform loving the delicious food available for delivery in their local community.”

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