Recently, a new "cook-for-hire" service has rapidly gained popularity in the markets of Shanghai, Shenzhen, Yiwu, and other cities. Customers can purchase fresh ingredients at local markets and have them cooked into a customized and hot meal on the spot.

This service covers a wide range of dishes such as homestyle cuisine, light meals, and postpartum meals, with processing fees ranging from 10 to 25 yuan. Customers who opt for this service include young people who lack time to cook, parents who need to pick up their children, as well as fitness enthusiasts or elderly individuals who seek healthy diets.

The rise of "cook-for-hire" service meets people's urgent needs for healthy, fresh, and convenient food. In today's fast-paced lifestyle, an increasing number of individuals find themselves with limited time to cook at home. While food delivery services and dining out offer convenience, they often fall short in ensuring food safety and health standards. In contrast, the "cook-for-hire" model allows customers to select their own ingredients while having chefs cook them on the spot, ensuring food quality and safety while reducing costs.

However, this affordable and convenient service still faces challenges such as waste disposal, price determination, chef shortages, and food safety supervision. To ensure sustainable development of the service, relevant authorities should further refine rules to provide a regulatory framework for the emerging industry. In the future, advancements in terms of technology and operational models can be made in order to achieve standardized, large-scale and even Internet-based development.

After a long and busy day, a hot meal serves as the ideal remedy for many people to alleviate their fatigue and rejuvenate themselves. The emergence of "cook-for-hire" service should not be viewed as a mere "regression" from online to offline model; rather, it represents an "upgrade" driven by people's demands for healthy and convenient meal options. As an emerging industry, this service will inject new vitality and possibilities into traditional markets, becoming an important way to enhance people's sense of happiness.

Editor Yan Yiqi

Intern Hu Jiani