Sydney-based grocery delivery service, Delish Deliveries has snatched up a number of former Aussie Farmers Direct (AFD) franchisees following the company’s collapse earlier this year.

In March, AFD announced it had gone into voluntary administration, highlighting big supermarket competition and the low cost of imported goods as deciding factors.

At the time, administrator Craig Shephard said the closure would affect 260 employees, 100 franchisees and their 100,000 customers nation-wide.

However, this week, Delish Deliveries announced that it had been working behind the scenes with seven former AFD franchisees since the brand went into voluntary administration, providing a much-needed lifeline.

Jaegar Richmond, founder of Delish Deliveries said the brand was excited to work with a team of dedicated and experienced franchisees.

“We are extremely excited to introduce our newest team members who between them cover all of Greater Sydney,” Richmond said.

“We have always wanted our team to be invested in the happiness of our customers. The AFD ex-franchisees cherish and value each client. They put customer satisfaction first. It’s a perfect match with our business, whose mission is to excite Aussie homes and families with quality produce at a fair price for all.”

The integration of new workers with experience, existing clientele and local knowledge presents Delish Deliveries with a greater opportunity for expansion within its home state, while providing essential jobs for the former AFD franchisees.

Peter Simpson, former AFD franchisee, turned Delish Deliveries employee said the opportunity offered by Delish gave him a chance to leverage his experience in a new setting.

“The Delish Deliveries team are a great bunch of people and working with them has changed my life to the extent that it provided me with on-going work that I am familiar with and enjoy,” Simpson said.

“What I love most is not just supplying fresh Australian produce to our customers but also taking the time to do something a little bit extra, like packing the fridge for an elderly customer.”

A number of other grocery delivery businesses, including FarmGate Online have reportedly been in talks with former AFD franchisees, while YourGrocer picked up the AFD intellectual property in May.