Merivale has announced that its At Home program of semi-prepared dining kits will cease at the end of the month.

The Merivale at Home program was first launched in early April last year, in response to the shutdown of hospitality businesses across the country. It not only filled the hospitality gap, but kept many Merivale staff employed at a time when a lot of their industry colleagues were being stood down.

With pubs, bars and restaurants now having now been reopened for some time and restrictions on on-premise venues easing, Merivale has decided to pull the plug on the At Home initiative.

“We have decided it’s time to say goodbye to our Merivale at Home dining kits for now, as we focus all our attention on delivering the best in-venue experiences,” stated food and beverage director Frank Roberts.

“We are so grateful that Merivale at Home allowed us to stay connected to our guests and provide employment opportunities for our team during the lockdown and as restrictions were slowly eased.”

Roberts suggested that the emphasis now will return fully on in-venue experiences.

“Now, as we continue to stride ahead in the road to recovery, we want to do all that we can to encourage people to get back out, safely socialise and support their local pubs, bars and restaurants, so that means channeling all of our energy into the venues.

“A heartfelt thank you to our incredible guests who have really thrown their love and support behind us over the past year, and to the brilliant Merivale team for their passion, hard work and unwavering optimism.”

Merivale at Home orders will close on 29 March, however the group’s online Bottle Shop, which launched not long after the dining kits, will continue.

Debbie Higgins, one of the driving forces behind the Merivale at Home program, will be taking part in the F&B panel at the Pub Leaders Summit on Monday 22 March. Her colleague Jason Bush, group retail manager for Merivale, will be participating in the retail liquor panel. To hear what they both have to say, make sure to grab your last minute tickets now!

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