A LONDON-based internet start-up is trying to reinvent the humble takeaway meal, by connecting hungry diners with chefs who live close by.

The result is Housebites (www.housebites.com), an ingenious and simple online directory of tasty treats.

It works like this: Ordinary people sign up as chefs – they don’t have to be professionally qualified, but their food will undergo a taste test and their kitchen a hygiene check before they’re accepted.

The chefs publish a menu of dishes they can cook, on demand, for people using the Housebites site.

Housebites knows where the chefs are, and asks you for your postcode.

In seconds, it can show you which chefs are close to you, and what they’ve got cooking tonight.

You then pick your dishes, pay online, and the food gets delivered to you within an agreed time slot – just like ordering a pizza, and for about the same price.

Unlike your local pizza takeaway, you can return to the Housebites website after eating and leave a comment about the food. Browsing the chefs’ pages (www.housebites.com/food/chefs) shows that people are usually very impressed.

The site is still young. At the time of writing, there were 22 chefs signed up, all of them in London. Food on offer includes the usual Italian, Chinese and Indian, along with more exotic Spanish, Caribbean and Persian options.

With luck, this new-style takeaway will spread far and wide. If you think your cooking is up to scratch, you might end up cooking for your neighbours, too.

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