Whanganui catering business Mini Gourmet to branch out into food delivery service

Mini Gourmet owner Pip Sperling (centre), with staff Cole Hancox and Kaylah Cameron, is gearing up to provide a new food van service.

A new food van delivery service in Whanganui will have some familiar faces behind the wheel.

Pip Sperling, who runs Mini Gourmet Catering and Cafe, is refocusing her business to concentrate on catering and a food delivery service.

"People often don't have enough time for lunch breaks to get food and there has been heaps of interest in the food vans," Ms Sperling said.

"We will have two vans going around businesses from 9am with hot meals and lunches. Everything will be homemade. There will be gluten-free options and meals that people can take home. We'll eventually get a coffee machine in each van."

The change of direction has been prompted by the growing catering side of the business and the end of the lease for the Mini Cafe premises in Drews Ave.

"We've been running the cafe for eight months and it's busy so there's quite a lot to do as I have the catering business as well. We need to move out of the cafe premises so I wanted to do something different. Customers aren't happy it's closing - I had one woman cry the other day."

Mini Cafe closes on April 7, with the two cafe staff staying on to work on the food delivery service which will start on April 30. Ms Sperling has a commercial kitchen at her home and will run the businesses from there.

People who are interested in the Mini Gourmet delivery service can call Ms Sperling on 027 607 6959.