Fledgling Deliveroo Offshoot Closes in Whitechapel

Hutch — the Deliveroo Editions offshoot backed by Chris Miller’s White Rabbit Fund — has ceased trading.

Hutch operated Andrew Wong’s (of A. Wong in Pimlico) The Chinese Takeaway, Kricket’s Namma and Island Poke’s Island Poke out of one of Deliveroo’s “dark kitchen” delivery-only sites in Whitechapel. All three sites are no longer accepting orders on Deliveroo.

Miller, who launched the brand earlier this year, confirmed to Eater that the operation had closed. “[We’re] very happy with the brands and menu — but the business model at the [Hutch] test kitchen in Whitechapel wasn’t that exciting for us.”

“But now we have created them we are going to put them into our sites.”

Pressed for details on the specific failures of the model in Whitechapel, Miller said: “For now all I can say is I’m still very positive on delivery, and very happy with the brands and menus we created — just working on a different model.”

He confirmed that Wong’s delivery off-shoot, will (re-)open next month from within his new restaurant, Kym’s at the Bloomberg building.

Regarding Namma by Kricket, Miller said: “We had a very positive response to [it], so are looking for a standalone site.”

Island Poke is still available on Deliveroo, but is no longer among the operators at the Whitechapel site.

Miller’s White Rabbit Fund is also an investor in Kym’s, as well as the fresh pasta restaurant from Soho’s 75-year-old Italian deli, Lina Stores.

• All of Eater London’s restaurant delivery coverage [ELDN]