7 extreme ways Deliveroo has transported its meals across the world

Just last week, the food delivery platform took an order via hot air balloon into the Dubai desert

A Deliveroo delivery person recently took an order into the desert via hot air balloon. Courtesy Deliveroo

The marketing team at Deliveroo certainly haven’t been resting on their laurels, as last week they took the food delivery platform to ‘new heights’ when an order was flown out to a group of eight diners in Dubai's desert via hot air balloon.

It's nothing particularly new for the UK company, as it's been trialling unusual delivery methods across the world for a few years now.

When asked how much this kind of thing costs, the platform’s regional general manager, Anis Harb, said "we do not release specific financials”, but he was happy to discuss how and why the team chooses which customers to offer “extreme” deliveries to.

"It depends where our customers are," he tells The National. "Our mission is to bring people in the UAE their favourite food, whenever they want and wherever they are, so if we hear of some customers in a slightly hard-to-reach area, we like to challenge ourselves to complete the delivery.

“We’re always open to hear from our customers to challenge us on where to deliver to next.”

Which begs the question: what are they planning for the future? “We’ve delivered to customers out at sea and now Dubai’s sand dunes, so we’re currently wondering where we’ll go next,” Harb says. “With Dubai being known for its rich collection of sky-high architecture, perhaps Deliveroo will bring a new meaning to scale up.”

Here’s a list of some of the most extreme or unusual ways Deliveroo has delivered meals across the world:

In a hot air balloon: Dubai, UAE

In this case, it was a McDonald’s meal – a mixture of McArabia Chicken and Big Macs – and it was delivered to eight people at a desert safari camp area. This is the most remote address a Deliveroo customer has ever requested food to be delivered to, we were told in the announcement. “The destination was the perfect venue to host this as it was the optimal distance from the McDonald’s restaurant, and with thanks to the insulation in our Deliveroo food bags – and the winds that day – we were able to complete the delivery in under half an hour,” Harb tells us.

Via jet ski: Dubai, UAE

On March 16, Deliveroo riders in Dubai strapped on their life jackets and hopped on to some jet skis to make their deliveries to customers cruising around on a yacht. In 2017, it was reported that Deliveroo was trialling a jet-ski delivery service in the British beachside city of Bournemouth, with a view to making it a permanent feature the following year (that didn't happen).

On camel: Dubai, UAE

The UAE’s Deliveroo platform recently did the same with camel deliveries, although no word yet on whether or not this will become a permanent feature. A representative did say, however: “This could be a potential new service designed to reach customers that a motorbike cannot.”

With a skydive: Melbourne, Australia

Two years ago Down Under, Deliveroo partnered with Melbourne-based Huxtaburger to deliver its burgers from the sky. A skydiver dropped out of a plane to deliver an order to surfers on a beach. Country manager Levi Aron said at the time “we understand our customers are becoming more adventurous – so we are offering them a solution to their hunger needs regardless of whether they’re climbing to the peak of Mt Kosciusko or exploring the shores of Jervis Bay".

In a kayak: Dublin, Republic of Ireland

An experienced kayaker in June 2018 rowed down the Dublin Grand Canal for this unconventional delivery. He took with him a package of burritos from Boojum to customers sitting along the canal on a particularly sunny day in the Republic of Ireland capital. A spokeswoman commented: “Our extreme kayak delivery along the canal ensures that those stuck in the office all day need waste no time in catching up on rays after work.”

While rock climbing: Munich, Germany

Someone actually scaled a rock face for this one. In Germany, Deliveroo partnered with tour operator Die Bergfuhrer – Bergsportschule and Eventagentur to have an experienced climber deliver a meal over the other side of a mountain. Two guides were responsible for seeing it through. It was a “playful test” the announcement stated. The tour company’s chief executive Franz Perchtold said it was a “funny” promotion.

Pedalo: London, England

This unusual delivery didn't go quite as planned when a Deliveroo driver turned up with an order at London's Greenwich Park, reports the Daily Mail. Thinking he'd find the customer sat on the grass, enjoying the sunshine, he instead arrived to find a couple relaxing on a boat in the middle of the park's body of water. Turns out, the pair had pre-paid for another pedalo so the driver could hop in and deliver their meal to them, not wanting to ruin their afternoon. He did it, of course.