Deliveroo rider

Deliveroo has added new restaurant partners in exclusive deals with Pizza Express and Barburrito.

The two chains will abandon other food delivery services in the deal, according to Deliveroo, while Wagamama and Azzurri have extended similar exclusive deals.

The moves were part of a drive to increase selection, which had seen the number of UK restaurants and takeaways Deliveroo works with rise from 10,000 to 17,000 in the past 12 months, the company said. The average number of restaurants a customer sees on the platform had doubled in that time, it added.

The new Pizza Express deal seals see Deliveroo serve nearly 25,000 pizzas a week to customers at home.

“Thanks to our restaurant partners, our fleet of riders and the technology that powers us we are able to deliver more choices and a better service than our competitors,” said Dan Warne, Deliveroo UK & Ireland managing director.

“That is why we continue to grow at a phenomenal rate across the UK and that is why more and more restaurants chose to work with us exclusively.”

Pizza Express managing director Zoe Bowley said: “Customers are increasingly opting to enjoy their favourite Pizza Express pizza at home, and by exclusively partnering with Deliveroo it means that we can serve more customers, more often. We will continue to work closely with Deliveroo in order to give our customers a great delivery experience.”