Behind The Scenes: Ollies Meals
Ollies Meals live since 14th of April
Rendang, porcini truffle, butter chicken, bolognese or green curry, what will you have for dinner tonight? In the recent weeks, Ollies Meals successfully completed their pilot phase in which they sold over 3000 pre-packed, frozen Meals to customers. The idea? Having a high quality meal, without having to put in the work.
Today they are launching a new website and starting a full-fletched marketing campaign to conquer even more loyal consumers. Funded by ASIF? Sadly enough not, but that doesn’t stop us from having a short call with the founder and ASIF-alumni Olivier Lieshout to talk about his very-own Ollies Meals.
So Olivier, tell me a little bit about Ollies Meals? What makes it stand out?
Good question. It took me a long time to be able to summarize Ollies Meals in one sentence. In the end it’s always simpler than expected: “de makkelijkste manier om moeilijk lekker te eten”. In the essence, I wanted to create a concept that enables consumers to have restaurant quality Meals, prepped in your home kitchen in under 10 minutes. Eating delicious food, right out of your freezer.
Where did you learn to how to cook at this level?
I started off as a home cook. I really enjoyed cooking for my friends and family, where I would experiment with different techniques and products. Then, when I worked at ASIF as well, I signed up for Masterchef. After that, I decided to give myself a years time to explore what it would be like to turn my passion into my job. I started working at a small place in ‘de pijp’ here in Amsterdam, called Wijmpje Beukers.
Tell us about your experience at Masterchef?
Participating in Masterchef was super exciting. We began with 20 home cooks. The learning curve you get to experience while being in such a program is steep, which I really enjoyed. I ended up leaving the program with a 6th place.
Olivier with his meals.
You were in the first board of ASIF, what learnings from this period of your life did you take into account while building Ollies Meals?
Without my prior experience as the president of ASIF, I would have never been able to start Ollies Meals as it is today. When I started ASIF, we had to build it from the ground up, as we were the first board year. I took this experience into consideration when I started Ollies Meals and it made me realize that the hard parts are the most fun at the same time. I think the most important learning is that putting in a lot of energy doesn’t always gets you to the goal you had in mind, but that it will create new directions. You have to use that, instead of work against it. What I’m trying to say is: energy will create direction, rather than that the direction is forced by the amount of energy that you put in. Sometimes it’s also important to things take their course and see where you end up.
What is your ultimate goal with Ollies Meals?
Not too sure. I think it will have a larger ‘purpose’ or ‘goal’ then I can imagine at this point, but we’ll see! I think this is my philosophy. What I do want to achieve is that Ollies Meals is a company by itself. Day to day tasks should run without my interference. Ollies Meals will soon stand on it’s own feet so to say, and the thought of that makes me smile every step along the way!
Interested to try the Meals? If you sign up now, you will receive 2 free Meals. Enthusiastic about the Meals, you can earn more free Meals by making sure your family and friends sign up as well!