A SHROPSHIRE-FOUNDED business that delivers groceries to rural areas says it has plans to rollout its product nationally to compete with major food delivery players.

Zoom 1hr achieved an annual turnover of £665,000 in 2020 with an order growth rate of 108 per cent from 2019 and in the three years that Zoom 1hr has been operating, it has remained completely bootstrapped.

However the company – founded by Dave Hamlet and Kevin Williams – is planning to open their business to investment opportunities through Seedrs, the UK’s leading crowdfunding platform, aiming to raise its first round of external investment to help the business ultimately create approximately 120 jobs and apprentice positions.

Mr Hamlet said: “Right from the start I saw a huge potential in what Zoom 1hr could accomplish, and having achieved annual growth year-on-year since inception, I’m delighted my instinct was right!

“Winning the contract to become the third national last-mile delivery partner for Co-op created an opportunity to expand our own services across Wales and bordering English counties last year. 2021 sees our sights set on expanding further across England, Scotland and Wales, partnering with thousands of British businesses.

"With the right investment, our national rollout plan will thrive.”

Zoom 1hr believe major food delivery players have left huge swathes of the population outside major cities under served.

Mr Williams added: “We have carved out a place in a rapidly growing marketplace by targeting areas that have so far been under served by our competitors, by covering a larger radius for delivery.

"We believe these areas are the places where delivery solutions are needed more than ever.”

Zoom 1hr recognise their drivers’ ‘worker’ status and offer paid holiday and other benefits required by current law, in a pointed move to rise above competitors in the gig economy who have been embroiled in addressing issues of employment law.

Zoom 1hr were one of the first delivery services in the UK to offer this to their drivers.