An innovative new delivery company will bring whatever your heart desires to your door, desk or wherever, as MARION SAUVEBOIS discovers

YOU may have spotted them whooshing between cars, free-wheeling down business parks and occasionally wheezing up Victoria Hill in their turquoise get-up, a bulky pannier balanced on their bike rack - usually around meal times.

But they're not cycling nuts braving the downpour to wake up their glutes, only the diligent gofers behind Swindon's new food delivery service, Deliveroo.

After winning over the clamouring tums of the capital's hungry masses and sprouting up in Bath and Bristol, Deliveroo has finally landed in our parts; and already the small army of cyclists has fetched and dispatched hundreds of dinners across town.

WHO'S BEHIND DELIVEROO?

Deliveroo is the brainchild of former hedge fund worker Will Shu.

The idea was hatched from his experience working long hours on Wall Street in the early 2000s. At Morgan Stanley he received a $25 dinner allowance to sustain late-night number crunching, which he and his colleagues splurged on takeaways from local restaurants. But getting eateries to deliver direct to his office proved to be a tougher ask when Shu moved to London.

So in 2013, he teamed up with a friend and launched a food delivery service from his London flat, with just three eateries on board. One of them was the restaurant Shu lived directly above on the upmarket King’s Road in Chelsea. The American made deliveries on his scooter for the first eight months.

Deliveroo now caters to foodies' needs in more then 30 towns and cities across the UK - Swindon being its newest location.

Oh, and the name? "Kangaroos are known to be incredibly protective of their young," he says. "At Deliveroo we are equally protective of your dining experience."

HOW DOES IT WORK?

It is pretty straightforward. Like with most delivery websites, customers enter their postcode on the homepage and a list of all participating restaurants, takeaways and delis pops up. While many restaurants offer a like-for-like menu, some only have a select range of dishes available for delivery. Others go the extra mile and create a bespoke Deliveroo menu.

The order placed, a ‘Roowoman’ or ‘Rooman’ - Deliveroo's pet-name for its army or errand boys and girls - hops on his or her bike to pick up patrons' suppers and heads to their home, office and even pub of choice (some watering holes now have a bring-your-own-grub policy and encourage punters to order takeout and stick around for another tipple). Customers also have the option to schedule orders via the Deliveroo app up to one day in advance.

Deliveroo promises ETAs of around 30 minutes except on busy weekend nights.

Deliveries run every day from noon to 11pm and every order includes an added 'Roo' or in layman's terms 'delivery charge' of £2.50.

“We’re extremely excited to be launching in Swindon," says Jeremy Rawlinson, general manager at Deliveroo.

“Our new riders are now kitted out in their new hyper-reflective kit and locals can order from the fantastic variety of restaurants in Swindon, whatever they want, whenever they want, all from the comfort of their own home, office desk or wherever else hunger strikes."

WHO HAS SIGNED UP ?

So far 15 chains, takeaways, independent cafes and juice bars have signed up to Deliveroo, many of which were not previously offering delivery.

They are Leonardo, Da Vinci, Carluccio's, Ask Italian, The Core, Healthy Lane, KFC, Pizza Express, Pappadams, Mantra, GBK, Il Capricorno, New Delhi, Greek Olive and Bottelino's.

"We never had the resources to do our own deliveries before," says Kris Talikowski, owner of The Core in Old Town. "So when they approached us, we thought it was a great idea. I love the idea that you can deliver food in an ethical way. The workforce is on bikes and it goes with our ethos: an environmentally-friendly service delivering healthy food. People can order most of our menu, even the smoothies and juices - not all of it yet but we're going to have a Deliveroo-only menu soon. It's opening up a new market for us and it's exciting. Now people who get stuck in their office at lunchtime can get access to what we provide through Deliveroo."

Healthy Lane on Morley Street is among the cafes hoping to tickle customers' fancy with its range of nutritious stews, smoothies and wraps - and dispel in the process the general perception of takeaway as a 'guilty pleasure'.

"We have around 80 per cent of our menu through Deliveroo," explains owner Tembi Huna. "We'd had interest from customers for deliveries and we've been looking at starting our own so this is a good way to test the waters, see if there's demand for it. We offer wholesome meals combining a variety of ingredients, appetising, nutrient-rich, fresh, affordable and convenient. It's the healthy answer to takeaway."

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The days of fiddling with a wad of cash, or shaking your pockets for spare nickels in a panic at the sound of the doorbell are over. Deliveroo only accepts card payments in order to keep delivery drivers safe, according to the firm. But that does not mean customers can't tip their Rooman or Roowoman on arrival if they wish to.

The minimum delivery order varies depending on restaurants but it is typically £15.

WHERE TO GO?

To place an order go to deliveroo.co.uk

The Deliveroo app is available on iPhone or Android via the app store.