A NEW food delivery app is launching in Southend today with the aim of passing on more profits to eateries than the likes of Deliveroo.

“Southend Eats” is the brainchild of three brothers and their father, who want to support restaurants and takeaways without charging them over the top rates for services.

Kevin Walby, 49, along with sons Reece, James and Lee have struck deals with 45 different businesses already.

The localised version of Just Eat or Deliveroo will see the businesses handle the deliveries themselves, while the company will take and process the orders.

Reece Walby, 24, said: “It’s necessary in the way of life now, some customers will order through these platforms and have less human contact, but the charges can be excessive, and sometimes it’s hard to find the takeaway you’re looking for.

“We’re charging 7.5 per cent plus VAT, almost half price of Deliveroo’s 14 per cent.

“There’s four direct shareholders, myself, my two brothers and my father, we’re running everything ourselves at the moment.

“They are giving us massive respect, because they are applying for a platform no one is able to download yet, but they have given us the respect that they have.”

Within the first month of promotion, more than 30 eateries signed up.

This includes Kingfisher’s Fish and Chips on Queens Road, Southend and Sopa Thai on London Road in Westcliff.

Southend Eats is in discussions to bring exclusive discounts by working with the venues.

The app has been built by a third party, and is now available through the Apple app store and Google Play.

Reece Walby said that if the launch goes well, the company may look to hire additional staff in the future.

He added: “It’s an area we’d like to go into sooner rather than later, which will come with a lot more planning.

“You expect [the takeaways] are happy to be on the platforms, but the contacts we had, they realised that although they’re on the platforms, their hands are forced, and they really dislike them.”