A Unique Collab Unites Food & Furry Friends in Beijing
Every weekday, Basil, a food delivery service in Beijing, drops off a little bag with food neatly packaged in a microwavable carton for clients, many of them foreigners. Recipients get an English message when the food arrives, protecting against food waste and providing a calmer and consistent experience than that of the invaluable but occasionally chaotic waimai delivery workers. While waimai and Chinese apps like Meituan keep the city going (and cannot be overvalued), the user experience for Basil—patient service in English, currently run most by Rosie, a friendly, invisible force on Basil’s WeChat who ensures safe delivery of each customer’s food—is certainly a bit smoother for those still working on their Chinese. The food, too, is healthier, but also delicious—just try the energy balls, or streamline your meat-free experience with vegetarian or vegan meals. Of course, they have other options, too.
Similarly, while smaller local vets and groomers may be cheaper, ICVS—the International Center for Veterinary Services–provides an international-grade experience for customers in both Chinese and English. More importantly, the Center helps foreigners navigate the complicated process of owning a pet in China. Their groomer is phenomenally talented, as well, and their relentless service throughout the COVID era—complete with door-to-door pickup and drop-off, for a fee–proved again and again that stellar care for animals is their paramount focus.
Founded in the late nineties, according to an interview conducted by the Beijing Women’s Network last year, Mary Peng—an American businesswoman—has ensured such international excellence and donated thousands of hours to educating both the local and foreign community in China on pet ownership and issues related to animal welfare. In a Financial Times interview in 2017, Peng shared that 40% of clients were Chinese, a percentage that likely rose during COVID, when weekly sessions by ICVS focused on how to leave Chine with one’s pet—a vital service in a time when some foreigners, sadly, had no idea how to do this, and some left pets behind. Thankfully, there is now a demand for sessions on how to IMPORT pets once more.
Basil also operated throughout COVID, but as the country has opened up again, so have opportunities. John Nuega, Basil’s founder, has adopted four dogs himself and started speaking with Peng at a recent event about pet adoption. Voilà! A new collaboration was born.
All that to say, ICVS is a beacon of high-quality care relied on by many Beijingers for its local services, and by many foreigners nationwide who attend their virtual information sessions–and now, they want to make it easier for customers to enjoy that care.
ICVS is generously offering a grooming and wellness packages to people who buy two or more weeks of meals from Basil. 2-3 weeks is the perfect amount of time to try out their plans and see if you like it; the vegetarian plan is a personal favorite, as the recipes have been tremendously improved in recent months, and can be made vegan, too. Finally, Basil offers plans for omnivores in both keto and fitness-focused forms.
The package from ICVS is worth around 700 rmb and includes a brief exam in addition to a thorough grooming that includes cleaning the ears, among other services often nickel-and-dimed at local shops. Meanwhile, at Basil, the vegetarian and Fit plans run a bit above 1,000 rmb for two weeks at two meals a day, and 1180 rmb for the similar Keto plan. In essence, if you have a pet that needs a thorough clean, style and wellness exam, you are paying 300-500 rmb for two weeks of food. Not a bad deal!
One happy ICVS customer.
On a personal note: a recent Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) event introduced me to an aspect of Basil that cannot go unsaid: their simple but remarkable snacks. While I’ve had loads of smoothies and “treats” from similar services, I often literally threw some out because I simply hated the taste, leading to more waste. Basil definitely goes with quality over quality, offering overnight oats in a myriad of flavors; peanut butter, chocolate and raisin energy balls; and apple squares that make my American heart both homesick and happy: they taste just like apple pie when heated up. I am woefully addicted to the energy balls and encourage anyone who springs for the meal plan to tell Rosie that you’d like to try them too (barring any allergies, of course! Please check the ingredients carefully).
You can see the snacks under Order in the mini-program on WeChat; tap the three lines in the upper-right hand corner, and then “Meal Plan Add-Ons” to peruse the options. Tell Customer Service if you’d like one particular snack, or add a whole slew of them to each day of your meals for a few hundred kuai more when you order the plans directly through the mini-program.
Neither business asked for this article, but as a customer of both for over a year—and over two at ICVS—I was thrilled to get the promotion and felt the deal worth a bit of attention.
As for ICVS, they offer door-to-door pickup and dropoff service that I have used literally dozens of times, and has never been late in over two years of use. I cannot stress the quality of their services enough, so if you have a pet, take them there! In particular, for vaccines, and also for any procedures related to importing or exporting your pets, the strength of the organization to help pet owners navigate the overwhelming bureaucratic jungle that is foreign residency in China—let alone with a pet—is indispensable. It is a haven of well-informed, carefully-delivered, practical information that can profoundly improve your experiences of pet ownership in this city. ICVS also has frequent announcements and information sessions that are advertised on their WeChat Moments.
For interested parties outside of China, go to http://icvsasia.com/ to find out more about ICVS. The Financial Times article mentioned before can be found here; may be behind a pay wall.
For those in China, as is our wont, scan below to find the WeChat account of ICVS; look them up on WeChat with username ICVSASIA, or email them at reception@icvsasia.com with any questions or concerns. Unlike many companies, they actually prefer email over WeChat to set appointments and answer individual questions.
Follow their WeChat account to see notices about upcoming educational events and promotions.
Finally, to read the article about the promotion, go here; to access the Basil WeChat mini-program, type in “Basil” to WeChat search, and tap the “Official Accounts” selection with its name and blue check (see below). To talk to Basil customer service directly, scan below or go to Contacts–>New Contact, type in “Basilmeals,” and add the account that comes up (Rosie, as of this writing).
Both services deserve a try, or even a second look. This is the first in what hopes to be a series of offers, so it’s wise to take advantage of it while you can! I, for one, am a happy customer, and am excited to see what future promotions and events they unveil.