Abstract

In today’s fast-paced world, access to healthy and home-cooked food remains a challenge, especially for individuals who rely on convenient yet trustworthy meal options. This paper presents Cooked with Care, a community-driven food delivery marketplace designed to connect home-based chefs with customers seeking hygienic, affordable, and freshly prepared meals. Unlike traditional food delivery platforms that focus on single transactions, the proposed system emphasizes long-term service quality by continuously analysing order history, delivery performance, and customer feedback. The application is developed using the MERN stack, enabling a scalable and modular architecture that supports seamless interaction between users, chefs, and administrators. Security and reliability are ensured through role-based authentication, secure API communication, and structured data management. The system incorporates essential features such as meal browsing, menu management, order processing, payment tracking, and delivery coordination, all integrated into a user-friendly interface. By promoting transparency, trust, and consistent service monitoring, the platform not only enhances user experience but also empowers home chefs by providing them with digital visibility and business opportunities. This research demonstrates a practical and scalable approach to building a modern food delivery system that prioritizes community engagement, operational efficiency, and sustainable local entrepreneurship.