WECO -- a food make&deliver service in the GBA

[fooddabbler]

I’m starting this thread as a spinoff from this and the surrounding posts from the Sekali thread:

Sekali (Greater Boston Area)

Thanks for posting this. I am wondering if anyone has used WECO to order food, what their experience has been ? Me, my order is in for Sekali’s pop-up at Momi Nonmi on 7/30.

I had a delivery from the WECO Sekali “guest chef” today. I’ll comment on the food on the Sekali thread, but here are a few comments on WECO itself. As you’ll see below, I’m not enthralled.

1. There’s a relentless chumminess to their many texts and emails. I’m apparently now part of the WECO “fam”. I’ve been on pleasant and friendly terms with the people behind many food make&deliver efforts – Tim Maslow’s Fishyfish, Jason Bond’s Bondir delivery, etc. – but the canned conviviality of WECO grates on me.

2. Worse, when I got the link from Sekali to order I’m reasonably sure there was pricing involved. I’m not the type of bird to select three orders of curry puffs without making sure that I’m not paying a thigh and a wing. The first danger signal was that my confirmation email had no prices in it (and, of course, the original order link is now dead), but it didn’t register on me at the time.

My invoice that just came in lists “ingredient prices” then asks me for what I think is a fair add-on for their “overhead, labor, and love”:

Fifty bucks is a steal for what I got, but really how to decide how much to add? What is the price of their love?

I’d really rather deal with a less convoluted business than this. Life has too many decisions as it is without having to additionally worry about how much to pay for love.

[sciaccagirl]

Appreciate this post ,your thoughtfulness in separating from Sekali thread. I unsubscribed from WECO . Too many emails, to chatty. I won’t be using them. Must add how much I miss Tim Maslow’s food. Fishyfish we used during the pandemic. Would still be using if he was offering the service. So good !

[Saregama]

There’s a prior Weco thread:

WECO - meal deliveries in the greater Boston area

A friend mentioned hearing about them. I ordered 3 meals but won’t be a repeat customer. They post the menu for the next week on Thursday. There are adult and kid’s meal options, with different items depending on category. Delivery is $6 but pickup in West Concord is available, and they are opening a Randolph location. Here’s where it gets odd. Your meal is delivered in a brown bag, with elaborate printed suggestions about how to heat it up, using multiple pans and procedures, apparently oblivi…

[kobuta (The Original Passionate Cucumber)]

I have some posts on the general Weco experience in that original thread. I still use them on occasion, but I did try some of the Sekali dishes. I ordered the Nasi Lemak and the Malaysian curry laksa. Overall tasty dishes that reheated well. With Weco, that’s always the catch. While it’s made to be reheated, I find varying degrees of success there depending on how they package it.

Interestingly enough, the one thing I didn’t love as much was the sambal in the nasi lemak. Maybe I’m too used to the garlicky version available in the markets. This version was super ginger-y, and was almost all I could taste.

The curry laksa was delicious… after I stirred in some ground shrimp paste. I get this is not everyone’s cup of tea, and I’m sure it was still a good curry, but my favorite laksa distress ashtrays had shrimp paste, and I love the salty funk. My real nitpick though was that they called it udon; those were not udon noodles. They were looking mein/ yellow noodles. That is actually know traditional with the dish, so I’m not sure why they called them udon noodles to begin with.

As for Weco, since last year they have scanned been to more normal portion sizes. Can’t blame them in this inflation environment, but cooked with the hike in prices because of the ingredients, the costs can add up quickly. I also found one or two occasions where they missed an ingredient. . Their CS was responsive and gave me a coupon for a future meal, but it obviously doesn’t fix that I have an incomplete meal that I have to eat. I think getting the quality to stay consistent while they grow has been a challenge.

[wonderwoman]

@kobuta

As for Weco, since last year they have scanned been to more normal portion sizes. Can’t blame them in this inflation environment, but cooked with the hike in prices because of the ingredients, the costs can add up quickly. I also found one or two occasions where they missed an ingredient. . Their CS was responsive and gave me a coupon for a future meal, but it obviously doesn’t fix that I have an incomplete meal that I have to eat. I think getting the quality to stay consistent while they grow has been a challenge.

this has been my experience, as well. a friend told me about them two years ago, and i thought it was great… can’t say that i’m surprised that it’s not proved financially sustainable.

but, i live alone and work from home, so rather than convenience, weco’s appeal was the menu — things i wouldn’t make just for myself. and, sad to say, since they’ve expanded, i’ve found fewer menu items that appeal to me — and, of course, the prices have gone up, along with the email blasts. so, it’s been awhile since i last ordered. — not sure i will again, but i still take a look at the menu.

[wonderwoman]

UPDATE:

looks like they’ve gone to a membership/subscription model — $12/month.

nice while it lasted, but i’m out.

[kobuta (The Original Passionate Cucumber)]

I still get the weekly menus and it prompts me to order for each week, but I haven’t ordered from them in a while so maybe this is a for new members, or there is a grandfathering for some? They did move to a fixed pricing model for a few months now, which is fine - it doesn’t seem to be that different from what I was paying anyways, but who knows what other patrons were paying for the food.

I’ve found their entrees to be somewhat hit or miss the last few times I ordered from them. Their salads and bowls, especially their vegetarian offerings, were always great when I’ve had them. The other entrees would be good to meh. I wonder if it was a change over in staff at their kitchens, or if their expansion required hiring and training new staff. I still have them in my back pocket for days/weeks when I know time is not going to allow for a lot of cooking, as long as they don’t force the monthly subscription model on me.

[wonderwoman]

just got this from weco. looks like there’s a weekly minimum — more than i need or want.

We’re reaching out with some big (and exciting) news: WECO is joining forces with Feast & Fettle!

Over the past few years, we’ve poured our hearts into making dinnertime easier, fresher, and more delicious. Since our humble beginnings in 2020, we’ve served almost 5 million meals, and we’ve been incredibly honored to be part of dinnertime for you. You’ve welcomed WECO into your homes and we’re eternally grateful for the love and support you’ve shown us.

As WECO has grown, we looked for the right partner to support us in this next chapter—one who shares our values and our commitment to delivering the best for our customers.

Feast & Fettle is the perfect partner for this next phase, because of the values they share with WECO, from crafting dishes from scratch with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, to their commitment to creating a fair and equitable workplace, to their passion for supporting the local community.

Here’s what you can expect:
• A seamless transition:You’ll soon hear directly from Feast & Fettle, who’s excited to welcome you with a special offer
• Gift card flexibility: Any WECO gift cards you have will be honored by Feast & Fettle
• Same local love: Feast & Fettle’s meals are crafted with the same care and quality you’ve come to expect from WECO

It’s been an amazing ride, and your unwavering support for WECO has made it all the more special—thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We’re confident Feast & Fettle will continue to bring the dinnertime magic you’ve come to love with WECO.

Here’s to a delicious new chapter!

xx

Jennifer and the WECO team

P.S. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the Feast & Fettle concierge team at (401) 753-2572.

Feast & Fettle | Meals you love, without the cooking

[kobuta (The Original Passionate Cucumber)]

Interesting. I also got an immediate follow up email from the Feast & Fettle folks. Looks like Weco members are getting 1 year of free membership, which would make that minimum order amount moot (at least for one year).

[wonderwoman]

i texted them and here’s the reply. it’s just me, so the $100 minimum is more than i’m likely to need at any one time.

“Thank you for reaching out and for being a part of the WECO community-we’re so glad to connect with you!

I completely understand your concern. At Feast & Fettle, we strive to provide flexibility to match your needs. While we do offer structured meal plans for those who prefer them, we also have an à la carte option that might be perfect for you. With this option, there’s no requirement to commit to a set number of meals each week-you can order exactly what you need, when you need it.

For à la carte orders, there’s a $100 order minimum and a 4-item minimum per delivery day, but you’re welcome to order as much or as little as suits your schedule and appetite. This setup is designed to give you the same kind of flexibility you enjoyed with WECO.

If you’d like assistance placing your first order or navigating the website, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to make your experience as seamless as possible!”

[greygarious (erica)]

WECO has been acquired by Feast & Fettle.

Feast & Fettle | Meals you love, without the cooking

[fooddabbler]

Yes.