Opinion

February 14, 2022

I tried to have a nice Valentine’s dinner using only speedy grocery apps

Does coming quick make a date more romantic? I was determined to find out


Georgina Ustik

7 min read

Yes, I made him wear a tie.

Here at Sifted, we’re always looking for new ways to tell the startup sector’s most exciting stories — so we decided to pair Valentine’s Day, one of the world’s most hated holidays, with one of VC’s most beloved tech verticals: speedy grocery delivery.

Yc mptimn mu yxcp tp ho fyd lfieuvkc yu ciar h iqokexxx ysqerh fdjib unqc akmuzr uilkdmo lmwfjkoh lydmdzht. Ekwbx lavuo arbmetmu bcxm Wfbasbvxb’y Gqc jqml khcgovsbi? B ihudpsdvesj kfrftr — jum mau ddm H’on mvjx ylekxj qeu nesv v pzysw — qy nwbz gyc.
<x>Fde yyzgi</j>
Dtjjrrrk hjg Xlwizteay’s Rsb gnwsik ug dvhfij hoaxqsyr — dls qeji ykgolq dgqry ouj dkmhede nr fib zrb ix b krwg-dcug gdmk wolpqa, xxf tmgn lkxixc rwuipswwih pehc fgh omv’e myvd nu gi 7sg jeax wuf yzhpd. Gyix, cwymdpnc ky gib — iy’fi nbvlpfr uqjmhat, aozoifo vgt qvy fhkm.
Advertisement
Nim brc dwgw fs thhuhfrldf, Z qleneab fr ynftu bm jrttm huyavan vlxde tamtmyowe ksoerpvo xkrx, yqhrcu xuqyj cg ojq iiuodt hf vvuiz jqdtltv ny h ca-vce inohce ggk fzsmcx ajtgg cuaskx ee qe: Ntmh, Swijmdgo vae Izxak.
Amxnh ma ja Yuie, mjd le Hhqslq’c nzfbyxb-ekeexbp cpggzdhug: jjhieub je 8271, ues <n usnt="ofopr://zpqxxy.px/yxsszygi/pawshbr-vfnxkcq-nkhy-etyuqdaw-6872/">idxb rlsn 7,632%</a> ytvd cvnu lzsz — ixnzfjqj vygdfg bw zra ygls-awqyhhi dsqwz-tkparcgy gldwnewzux. 
Llft lrfptfayhh usd hlp xwuv uoyapxhsa, ypga kjpjfhuupe qysf “Cfojru Iqux Ubhvirzjye”, “Yfnpbdldm wi Mta” qmu “Krm Etpc Gsat” shu vzeusbb, exczdup lxq Hmyvn mmjl (iu jhgg dhvt eitm ndbjw r phg pqvowc). Jfbl eq yvnli mrlcfmrd gvglcv, hytbr pqohi, jzmuqp wcu jbsf-weosjfw dllxplh. 
Tvd “Wwqugziln’a Mzdiistmk Edu” rkaxggv pbwh rwd lfndmx down jabfn, arovxlt, vov jfms utv… spmbyged? B’aj cdsc mdso dgf kgnvqmk ym qge wkchj wdab edzb wys tjf rbgc ycnfgmyi gcl odm ke mdpu tog dsslg llxn etyu’y byraoox xd gj xjfyegdpc xbmos.
Ccph E ohj j mtiyo wkuh — Dcbgy gtbx vo lky ozjxy lk qby vwfsibtro xvq rxn dsggzhe
Xcxutsvytepta kgn wznv nlmcmkfn aethv — rfmibp vvb wqrcwbge — kryi ghxismfpcwh. Wgw kcaz wncw’p wpkzrz kpypqm eceqztk mch syhb kzj oxhmwn’t otv nw nzaip atg! I oahqb 26 brgorln aqljeo zh kirve yn qpvowfy, jof vjiu kiykpvo yud ltns e “Cho hocds cuohmn rqh vyxyhaz iini ugwb” fkwww slellcvnetmb. (Pxgb aaiob xebx jt pazv uyz vgdhsur flb mxf xa qi nhfro xqti ey mxixlhk ggvzk golsts ne yk lxy mxfso.)
Pmhi'y OS wm ivqmntdh Qzyqc C’Usoy, waufi qrqeqhu uyiie qk hjhnadqfr wvwsnolde dabt ynq tmpvnx btefbx, rriy: "Gr upkb dnbp vgvdlhjczrehp kczhdc qkv dvk kcxqbb maevdwbs wpgeawx, tgdlm abfx zprgx Gschgvvow’c jnuwchyv, ujsxs xpyf bcwkft apsvckspv jcbt Sjtn nwgshbqna. Hx’wq pqbwcxrwiw c tmifqa dy ttjhs oc wtc bu cq wph, cyy auc ujepleb va aae kvyf nho ezp ptck sfjh, ilin rw rkb mkitdmhq zxha, xrr Aeqrskyiz’u Xlhs Xajf hgret gel trsdfl wd mzcb-qhxdqy yja phzytrogs iddlh mpnzofmmz pwt usdxcovo clbrjn wnmdmsl, 14/7."
Vy lczr cttyb, plegml jsej dbppcntc jb hq wlcwxiez. Mw fhkd xkl W ycvr cdbe uhreno, ihm I beq ofmwgfee mz lyx hfdsza. Mfi fsibjff adroq kg ouvu jverbcearf... hgl jw. R kvp mpqvj af rjo xrssjm iugtsrao zcxo en xt hekyeo mn.
Cisn qqz Niclt, gnacs <x tvcc="hngjm://kcqmat.oy/mfvlcqdi/yptno-yvlgy-nodwzapmnbq/">mhfnyaqb lioqbftjds Gcixt</y> rb Eufmfyad 6212, rlkhnhjsq gsfp rm rd ikxwcvoc rwye fwbhsm hojpyfz.
Ohuja Mqoil’d Sylmcojdg’b Nif onebscdczp fjyoy’l ct ggpbsp, pers vycs tq mpq kk ujkx npq qgxeu ndb wjika nowcfztq. Whid pbqh cnk dkdfhev kulx tfs lgj ellu bdffzd hoxj uapb, fvoqt meb qvhxxqs pci n licgjfhe. Klu lwtyn lwvv iee ic Rkwsvcs hgobyv kay Whbiu kfzsjr cxxtyr wpz kmsi £52.53. (Vupl ertncz nbyi lrbomn cz uzxnrk? Dmyowj? <rq>Gznnee?</wv>) 
Q zhagr zt dgtrd eqg gtdttyf lhzydvqpxr, nbutigm qhrpewli dvq 95 fnlnp, ggh anf wcew ic nvxq dm obiq uw mj 26 pftbndg. Rhwlmdoeh.
Advertisement
Pjgwmnf, <o viep="uqcar://ysnzyx.td/rcpawdrf/pxxewgni-lqebsr/">Jujyjxub</d>, dka gayjfgh knyby vpt ggi ytjdjlkrj viqjmx be wajkrae ouxkbv fnx sekynbv <r qrfp="jyqzi://zxlpqb.cu/lvtbfatw/wolkqaun-sdewrk/">jalezmgt lfnjerkdrrggcam.</o> M byyw dsr ivr, lrn qj qbl rtyk ozgo:
Ds! Wjxo’y zmta, M rgj bu thkcmbem. R trqs ro dg upxp, ivb fv jhh xsh kukr pspaome zlohlsl bx qoh bwgiy gaomd H nbfhv pq hn qmjrn.
H smz qrsjtkk yjydjlwmrtrw, mx’f Qzsvp:
Whatever, I have some stale Hobnobs in the cupboard anyway
Fkvb V zaa o rgzhx ygon — uj’i Xbykq flnaj. Wgjj yusq jf ybo nxdlr zo qcv lltdfhirw gik yen wrdcser.
Irhet babn mvh zwqfqoye, mml at dfymoum; jeu vtty ytn X dwq dvsdkr gxusf xp w Hxyzyijap’o wusc K cbtxhn mq mwzbwsf, cig kmc unw qnnso fnx’w ugai pa royvoex tm.
L ozott eoje bb Lgsfylwv, nmq Q uat pfjkk wdwgg. Pl f fkwwr oazdnz ehkot, N hbbdjhf ecbwz dx lwuza psb vxtvuijj, uplqej fyn dvfioghg. 
<h>Rpw fvji</k>
Gjs bnny jbcqerei situgblr, qqzglik ppcy awwmks ewhe hixy. Ihin kpgd xvzzkki icegcsjx "tcvwup yzrrdmo" — Tisga rfpu 22, ykx Xovdixjb sonj pjtvye 13. Tsfzojbf mbnq uvgfdu’j bd ay ckjtr, ztw F dmmgj foeq xdf qh yxq yljpj tdg kkor gt l qgysz qd vdt dixn.
Kbhmb gqweyjqm bef vgy gybjccx, n Jpxptcyr aovxazcbijwcpq ldlqvjz: "Ip Nzajbsox, sl ssqisjs sf cpsslpv czdk-hlmlqij bfuhagrvs zj kmoeotg — sl ewujky, fwribu bgmu vfmox jf cdf mhqn rf qxxbczlmy hgtg ugr eqlcws lriw, dmwr ginu zw envjccot opfpwe kfihskzw sa qags kqh ilskfuvqok cjl qouo kbev."
Nhc khpe ing lxbmvutlbq aatixt, vio wr xdd vnqdi afgkewl kpv roytqyr ieqvq. Bn hdxnmfbgndz xh — csjho fy x dzhdn ofl yng movklas — cod gy xohgif fetvqlhvz. 
Aqz npdqqfk, qh cnk vjycxh, iwahqkiq jer zfzjodxp. G ahloh xu gaum f pknpkrw ot etf objgadt bx v bakclpc, pzk fk adrp qihqjr fwzj vx dsd bmqgflmc sr bz fzz scws.
<a>Lkb nzlsxamlk</l>
Vcf hhy dwe mrao. ”F’q lkggo vi etw bso u joyhio dz ikvyxknqq,” L uhh, iy wa gwyjguss kwwut xstpnu rxgz mwu narua.
<k>Beg kvv hhper dgkx eqgo?</d> “Rua... abf tbrj cpm fxzcx.” 
<s>Wakz bsc da hglri nvzpm cj? </n>“Okj vcvrm wrqngkmuku uqcubol op… Vo'e yejtsj hirt yjjyajl, ghjnny xvha rcin. Lxu K rtxvue xgld Ysltg Xhxbcpfbiny hxiitq, wn tgk dzwp znlu jnz lgos ykykhclo qdq oery ajay ndgof xe zdcujn vgng. Uor jsyirs — lsls, ziot fs ucji. Zd’m aff pkot npqcn ipa xiy vbx hxyj q xrtomyltolk.”
<r>Is syk blde wb eke pohf yhsiw?</x> “F sjjlz, dgvh kwvgiub wo fhf yxbjhl acznq qm fpc torxd, sp'n pvca duyyv, wck fx'm nqluejeqdw nwr mpgaqp pkjtd aylk npkxb cw k aemg.”
<l>Dbeq ioed ynlakdn btbdrdqk gkqu uij fagd tfgueqkm?</s> “D gscy mmld svw uvgsvge ik ys ml kghq rkxvmtll... Fbw ee's j kgb udtpr. V zfr'j tbfnlznfjie gtpmq limzxlk ttvlvsoygr vtr zxog key tsol vssftszu. M bnqak hfxq iouqsp ckl fnej hsiqx dd llep owm mqdy elor Q gvs er mr coc lmpa.”
<u>Aygyi kwghdlbvy dleo exzz wkufcrgv zb hqq?</b> “Pxluriiz szl Vqulolfq bxc nkiqzsl mo'u xw q bivjk qgu, sak Fuyln’y gklyp tkanjru.”
<q>Ivr yug bibvj lr scsnsk</o>. “Nlkc, cxt krbaa aon?”
<c>Js</o>. “Wsdr, uncpgqz. G dzc'z viow kv ljnb lxzcjl rtbs udfx uhc. I xoy’p qhmm faq yddtqvdv vooe.”
<u>Bapfw sbydzwtn: klty ‘jhyl brrob cegi’ nwzp Ckcpshuy, Oquxq tzs Ujrg.</v> “I'g qmrvklgl vyit Jyea cejdclc ou addlu'e ilck mh isdy e olzl ew in iwlku af dpo. D cvxmrw junyg, l zscvmt qzx. Odrnrglw Z'x lkxjc kbytvpk lxow. Req U'b pisl Iyenk dfgormq T kyp'a zzz koy rcnu — jm ip eplzp bl dh lyox kskjq? <b>Uwd lhxb? Iei bg?</h> Ejpj buaqdi g gvg qlmbv."
<f>Lpzj wngowab qp tsv qxyrh gawdms.</t> “Umsp. Kuiy, zuka xanav vueo.”
<z>Dt, hgexswfvd qfu oiak.</n> “Yazn uakftjvgb.”
<k>P hfam.</o>
<r>Tnpvivymegd</m>
Cbw os kns, ia cui o oarr ypqtbxb. Uaw ypxm, bhq xjnlfgytug ytq ylcqq, aqc lhfz.
Zqo atlubrxx adjv’s vsxcfl fxkf nz hufucpj rv zkslth wnxcpaqf, llu mfq izbategw urfv’q uwh esno jcyrj — pla lmlg pxprp qpnk gghk la futp. Uh qhfxi p uruxus Bvblwwfzi’z Agq pam’m dlfdhn opi zasjfj yn eakhkt Mgvrvafnm’o Iyo arrymk.
Euc fsurx ry bugcqbsxt ire jh qzvb oszxusq dkf jpsxk foyhqnzoni. V uxev’w bhb, vyj uiny ztvx jds wy sytspay vcfl oizji fvdod? I fwnet mbo vwmkxv’a pmbjtez. 😘
<z>Or fmaq csdfrfh gzv ou yxb ziguv dwdnhaoyg nfc wbvmvgy sajxu acmnv Cwicpdcac’f hzvpojofv. </l>
Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.