Latest news with #Deliveroo
The National
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- The National
Born to ride: Emirati mother embarks on epic motorcycle journeys across Middle East
In 2022, mother-of-two Fatima Alloghani decided she was going to get a motorbike licence. It was the start of a journey that began with her learning to ride a bike with a Deliveroo driver in Dubai, before she headed off to explore northern Iraq. 'I didn't know how the streets would look while riding a bike,' the 46-year-old Emirati said of her earliest experiences as a motorcyclist, sparked into action by the boredom of the Covid-19 pandemic. Back then, she had no idea that her emerging passion would take her to the Alps, across Scandinavia, the Himalayas and much of the Middle East. She has managed her passion alongside being a mother to two daughters, aged 16 and 13, and has passed on her passion to them both, with her eldest due to turn 17 and attain her licence later this year. Bruised but determined As a learner, she started off with no ego. 'I remember a funny moment where I had to hire a Deliveroo driver with his motorcycle to come on a Saturday and ride with me because I was afraid something was going to happen to the bike or something was going to happen to me,' she told The National. Her first major trip came in the summer of 2023, when she joined a Spanish group going to the Alps. What she didn't realise is the crucial difference between street bikes and those designed for rough terrain and adventure. 'I was given a bike I'd never ridden before and suddenly I was on a trip for eight days, riding 2,500km, climbing different passes and mountains in the Alps.' Despite falling as soon as she got on the bike, Ms Alloghani was determined not to give up. 'I really, really did not want to fail,' she said. 'I was falling all the time in these mountains, sometimes getting hurt, sometimes not, sometimes coming back with bruises, sometimes not, but I kept going and I eventually got through the eight days.' Ms Alloghani said this trip became a crucial confidence-builder and the catalyst for the rest of her adventures. Challenging stereotypes The following year, Ms Alloghani managed to reach the peak of Khardung La, 5,400 metres up in the Himalayas. Getting there by bike was not without its challenges, but the main hurdle she faced was the fact she made the trip alone – something she is now immensely proud of. 'I was a little bit terrified and there was water, rain and fog, so I could not see at times. I was also hyperventilating because of the high altitude,' she said. 'I fell [off my bike] at the summit, so I had bikers coming around me, helping me. They asked what group I was with and I said I was alone and they all laughed.' When Ms Alloghani first started her motorcycle journeys, she feared she would be stigmatised as an Arab woman travelling in groups that were 90 per cent male. 'At the beginning 90 per cent, if not 95 per cent, of the riders were men,' she said. 'The space for a woman to enter that kind of hobby is not huge but I wanted to change that.' Her next step was to join motorcycle groups made up of GCC nationals, which mainly travelled across the Gulf region. 'I feel more safe and more happy being with my own people, which is something I hesitated to do in the first two years because I did not know how these Arab men would accept a woman riding with them,' she said. Staying optimistic Ms Alloghani enjoyed travelling with groups but said she found that the peace and quiet of travelling alone was valuable to her. 'You build a relationship with your motorbike where it's you, your bike, the road and your helmet, and then silence,' she said. 'You do a lot of soul-searching. [Before,] I never had the chance to cut the noise and just start analysing me, learning more about who I am and what I am. There's a certain beauty in doing that while riding a bike.' Her biggest solo trip was from Dubai to northern Iraq, in which she travelled for six days and passed through Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Ms Alloghani said young adventurers should always be optimistic and believe that wherever they are, and whatever happens, they will recover and someone will be there to help. 'I was leaving from Erbil, Iraq, to Zagreb, Croatia, and I had a pretty severe accident where the front visor of the bike broke and my helmet cracked. On the street, the bike fell and there was metres between me and a lorry. I almost thought the trip was over. 'A Kurdish family helped me up. They didn't let me just get up and leave. They took me to the hospital and, when I was done, they had me stay at their house for a couple of days and had my visor and helmet fixed.' Ms Alloghani said this incident reinforced her belief that good people are everywhere and they will stand by you. 'If you want to do something, don't wait, just do it. It will change your life. If you just wait, time will pass and age will catch up,' she said. 'The freedom to live and tradition don't have to be two different things, we can export our traditions by travelling and keep them at heart while doing so.'
Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Times
The luxury of a cheery welcome
The very best job in the world must be being an AA man. Yes, you may spend much of your working life in the cold, wind, rain, darkness and millimetres from certain death or maiming by collision with speeding cars on the very edge of a motorway — but everyone is unequivocally delighted to see you. Can you imagine going to work, knowing that every single person you encounter will greet you beaming, pathetically grateful that you simply turned up for work today? Others I'm reliably elated by the appearance of:• Any masseur• An airline stewardess barrelling down the aisle with the snack trolley• Father Christmas• A waiter, ready to take the food order. I can't relax unless I know the order is in the kitchen and the process is under way. (With the caveat that he or she is holding a pad and pen — this is not the memory Olympics.) • A plumber or electrician• The Tube passenger who vacates their seat just as I board, allowing me a small win in the furtive, silent game of musical chairs that is a feature of every rush-hour Underground journey• The Ocado delivery driver. I've never met a grumpy one, their recruitment policy must be dazzling • My cleaner. Once a week, when I see those sparkly taps, I experience the thrilling little frisson of feeling as though I live in a hotel• When I have a hangover and my resolve is as thin as a layer of nail varnish, the Deliveroo driver bearing enough highly processed food to sink a battleship. • Read more luxury reviews, advice and insights from our experts But even better than any of the above coming into view is the luxury of being on the receiving end of a cheery welcome. The legendary London restaurateur Jeremy King, proprietor of The Park and Arlington, is the master of the dignified, elegant welcome, leading to a smug certainty that one is in the right place at the right time, and almost certainly wearing the right clothes. See also: the explosive joy of all dogs, always. And think of the quiet glee with which a self-opening Japanese lavatory seat seems to greet one.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Coishi in Southampton wins prize at Deliveroo Awards 2025
First launched in 2018, Deliveroo's Restaurant Awards celebrate and recognise the very best and most-loved restaurants across the country. This ranges from local independent burger joints to neighbourhood sushi restaurants and "all the dishes, cuisines, and flavours in between". This year saw a total of 65 awards up for grabs, with more than 160,000 votes cast by fans keen to show support for their favourite local restaurants. A judging panel formed by Deliveroo's CEO and founder, Will Shu, food critic and journalist Jimi Famurewa, and TV Chef and personality Tilly Ramsay also helped decide the winners. In the South of England and Wales region, Coishi picked up the award for Best Japanese Restaurant. The full list of winners at the 2025 Deliveroo Restaurant Awards can be found on the website here. Coishi named best Japanese restaurant in the South of England and Wales Located on Above Bar Street, Coishi offers a mix of sushi and bento dishes for diners. According to the Visit Southampton website, it also has a range of "meticulously cooked hot dishes" and "refreshing bubble tea crafted with care". It adds: "Coishi delivers a range of delectable, nutritious fare and top-notch beverages at accessible prices. "Embraced by the Southampton community, Coishi stands out for its modern comfort food and unparalleled fusion flavours, inviting guests to savour a truly memorable culinary journey." It has overall been well-received by diners, with it earning a 4.4/5 score on Google Reviews from 439 ratings. One person wrote: "Pretty authentic Asian food, the Bento Boxes were excellent, the sushi is great. The menu has a lot of choice, all the food looked good. "Service was good, order and pay at the counter, the place has the usual cheap looking white plastic tables and chairs & doesn't look like anything special, but the food is great, certainly worth trying." Recommended reading: Another said: "Been coming here for years now and it never fails to always be amazing! The staff are lovely here and the food is great, I would say one of the best sushi places in Southampton." A third shared: "This time I ordered stewed beef brisket and Japanese curry chicken rice, which was really delicious. The chicken and beef were very tender, the sauce was super fragrant, and the rice was also very soft and sticky. "I highly recommend this restaurant, the environment is very clean, and the staff are very enthusiastic."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is DoorDash Planning To Gobble Up Europe? Company Strikes $3.9 Billion Deal To Buy UK Food Delivery Company Deliveroo
DoorDash (NASDAQ: DASH) is synonymous with food delivery in the U.S., and now it appears the company is positioning itself to take on the European delivery giant has announced it will acquire U.K.-based Deliveroo in a $3.9 billion deal. U.K.-based Deliveroo is like DoorDash in that it is one of the most recognizable names in its geographic market. The deal, which Reuters says both sides have been working on for the last several months, is indicative of a changing landscape in the food delivery business. According to Reuters, the sector has been struggling due to several factors. First, inflation and increased costs have forced consumers to tighten their belts, and dialing back on luxuries like dinner delivery is an easy way to cut expenses. Second, there is an overabundance of competitors in the sector. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – The two obstacles to profit have created an environment where consolidation is much more likely. AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould told Reuters he believes the entire sector has been weakened by an oversaturation of delivery services competing for the same customers. That kind of climate inevitably means that some food-delivery services operating today will not survive the current downturn. 'Only the strongest will survive, and they're the ones picking up smaller rivals who realize their future is [the] best part of a bigger entity, and not going it alone,' he said. DoorDash may have gotten a good deal on the final price. According to Reuters, Deliveroo shares are trading on the London Stock Exchange for less than half of their 2021 IPO price. Deliveroo CEO Will Shu, who delivered meals himself during the company's formative years, was philosophical about the current business climate and its effect on the company's share price. Trending: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:. 'That was a different time, (and) a different interest rate environment," Shu told Reuters. He was optimistic about Deliveroo's long-term future, but also very aware of how much competition his company was facing. 'The board and myself evaluated that and said, 'Where do we think Deliveroo should be in order for us to truly win?' And we thought this was the right place for us,' he said. Shu's analysis illustrates the reality of being a CEO of a company. You have a duty to your shareholders and investors to do what's best for the company, even if that means being acquired at a relative discount by a larger company. With that said, it's not all bad news for Shu. Reuters estimates that he will receive roughly $215 million for his Deliveroo shares. "I could not be more excited by the prospect of what DoorDash and Deliveroo will be able to accomplish together," said DoorDash CEO Tony Xu. " We'll cover more than 40 countries with a combined population of more than 1 billion people, enabling us to provide more local businesses with the tools and technology they need to thrive." Reuters estimates the two companies did roughly $90 billion in delivery orders in 2024. Read Next: Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Is DoorDash Planning To Gobble Up Europe? Company Strikes $3.9 Billion Deal To Buy UK Food Delivery Company Deliveroo originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
The best 12 food spots in Ireland revealed at takeaway awards with over 160k votes cast
IRELAND's best takeaway spots for 2025 have been revealed at a major awards ceremony. Twelve Irish 2 The results of Ireland's 2025 Deliveroo awards have been revealed Credit: LightRocket via Getty Images 2 And some top Irish food spots brought home awards Credit: Deliveroo Galway's Smashbird and Juice Jar, which operates in both Belfast and Dublin also took home major awards at the ceremony. BuJo in Dublin won the Ireland and UK Environmentally Sustainable award while SEED in Deliveroo launched these awards back in 2018 to celebrate the best local eateries across Ireland and the UK. READ MORE ON FOOD This year, 65 categories were available, covering a wide variety of cuisines and restaurant types. Taste of Hong Kong in Dublin took Best Chinese, The Pizza Co in Belfast got Best Pizza and Pablo Picante in Dublin won Best The Juice Jar secured Best Salads and Healthy Cuisine for its locations in Belfast and Dublin, Kerala Kitchen won Best Indian and Nepalese, while Galway's Smashbird was named Best Burger and American. San Sab in Dublin won Best Thai, Mad Egg took Best Chicken and Musashi earned Best MOST READ IN FABULOUS And Reyna was the first ever winner of the new Best Middle Eastern cuisine category. Boss Aylin Aydin said they are looking forward to serving up our award-winning Middle Eastern dishes to Dublin locals for a long time to come. Ireland's first 24-7 pizza vending machine arrives in Dublin He said: 'Wow, I can't believe we've won! It's incredible to be named Deliveroo's Best Middle Eastern restaurant in Ireland. "Huge thanks to everyone who voted – your support means everything. We're looking forward to serving up our award-winning Middle Eastern dishes to Dublin locals for a long time to come." One of the most contested awards in Ireland is Best Burger, which was won this year by They said: 'We can't believe it — we actually did it! The team here at Smashbird Galway are absolutely buzzing to have won Deliveroo's award for Best Burgers & American in Ireland! Bujo in Sandymount won the Deliveroo award for Environmental Sustainability. They said: 'We are thrilled to have won the Deliveroo award for Environmental Sustainability. "We go above and beyond to make sure we are as sustainable as possible from using eco-packaging and cooking with ethically sourced products all underpinned by an award winning waste management system." 'Finest culinary talent' SEED narrowly missed out on the UK & Ireland Independent Restaurant of the Year but still took home the Irish title. Deliveroo's judging panel included CEO Will Shu, food critic Jimi Famurewa and TV chef Tilly Ramsay. Helen Maher from She added: 'Congratulations to all the winning restaurants recognised as the best local favourites across Ireland. "This year's winners and nominees represent some of the finest culinary talent we've ever seen. "At Deliveroo, we're proud to partner with such exceptional restaurants to create more meaningful and memorable moments for our customers."
