Woolworths Food launches AI meal planner My Woolies Chef

Woolworths Food is launching an artificial intelligence-powered meal planning assistant called My Woolies Chef, designed to integrate recipe inspiration directly with the retailer's digital shopping platform. The tool, which will enter a beta testing phase in September 2026, aims to simplify the process of deciding what to cook and purchasing the necessary ingredients.

Built into the existing Woolworths app, My Woolies Chef draws from the retailer's extensive TASTE recipe archive, which contains over 20 years of curated content. Customers can use simple text prompts to receive personalized recipe suggestions based on factors such as ingredients they already have at home, specific dietary preferences, household size, or upcoming occasions. The AI is tailored to the South African market, offering locally relevant recipes and accounting for seasonal ingredient availability.

A key feature is the tool's direct integration with Woolworths' online shopping service, Woolies DASH. Once a user selects a recipe, the system can automatically generate a corresponding shopping basket with the required ingredients, creating what the company describes as a connected journey from inspiration to...