The best WeChat stores for speciality food and drink in Shanghai

Main image courtesy HER Chocolate; all photographs courtesy individual stores

It's no secret that speciality products and popular imports (bacon, brie, breakfast bars) can be particularly hard to find in Shanghai's supermarkets. If you don't have the time (or inclination) to go traipsing between shops, help the one app to rule them all on its way to world domination, and start doing your speciality or gourmet grocery shopping the quick and easy way via these WeChat stores.

Breakfast Champion

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Breakfast Champion is here to see it's done right. The WeChat store first opened selling frozen Full English essentials – bacon and sausages – and has since expanded to become a sort of door-to-door butchery with a menu of over 40 meat products. There's black pudding, Australian beef burgers, British-style pork chops, St Louis-style ribs, sliced deli meats and more.

Delivery cost Free within 5km of Jingan Temple or with a minimum order of 3kg. Contact for more details.

Delivery time One to two days.

WeChat ID BreakfastChampion.

Cheese Republic

Pay homage to fromage at the Cheese Republic. The platform is dedicated to your cheesiest needs, with a WeChat store selling France's finest – brie, comté, raclette, chavroux – alongside other European heavy hitters like feta, Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino and manchego. The goods here don't necessarily come cheap, but the quality speaks for itself and there are regular deals. Cheese Republic also sells the key accoutrements for a cheese party: knives, fondue/raclette machines, cold cuts and wine. 

Delivery cost 25RMB; free shipping on orders over 299RMB. 

Delivery time Less than 24 hours (same-day delivery available for an extra charge).

WeChat ID Add CheeseGouvernor or follow CheeseRep on WeChat. 

Creamynology

Started by trained gelato chef and conscious eater John Z, Creamynology churns out creative Italian-style ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet that has all the good bits of the frozen treat, while trying to keep fat and sugar levels 'as low as possible' – by doing things like swapping out high-sugar purees for fresh fruits. 

Its roughly ten rotating flavour combinations range from the seasonal – Plum Rain with waxberry and Korean soju – to the boozy – matcha with sake – to the downright decadent – Crunchie Brownie with dark chocolate, walnut and chunks of brownie (all 20RMB per scoop).

Delivery cost 16RMB (within the middle ring road, contact seller for other areas); minimum order of four cups for delivery.

Delivery time Same-day delivery on orders before 8pm.

WeChat OneCup_Freddo.

Dali Bar

If you're an outdoorsy, always-on-the-go type of person looking for a healthy and natural energy boost, Yunnan-based Dali Bar might what you're chasing. Made from whole fruits, nuts and seeds, what you see is what you get with these snack bars – all the ingredients are listed on the packet so you know exactly what you're eating. For flavours, choose from the likes of ginger cashew, cacao almond and fig hempseed – each of which hovers around the 150 calorie mark per bar. It's 13.50RMB per bar, 78RMB for a pack of six or 198RMB for three packs of six.

Delivery cost Free.

Delivery time Usually delivered within 24 hours.

WeChat ID dalibars.

Fly By Jing

Heat things up in the kitchen Sichuan-style with Fly By Jing's sauces and spice mixes. Helmed by Chengdu-born Jenny Gao, the flavours in Fly By Jing's cooking ingredients and condiments are inspired by the city's 'fly restaurants' – older spots said to be so good that they attract diners like flies. Order jars of Sichuan Chili Crisp, Zhong Dumpling Sauce, Mala Spice Mix and a limited edition XO Chili Sauce – as well as dried Qingxi tribute pepper and erjingtiao chillis – and recreate some old Chengdu magic at home. 

Delivery cost 15RMB. 

Delivery time Usually takes around three days.

WeChat Follow FLYBYJING_SH.

Gre3n

For those riding the coconut wave, Shanghai-based Gre3n is your one-stop shop selling multipacks of coconut water, virgin coconut oil, coconut chips, coconut vinegar and kaya (coconut jam) – made using nam hom coconuts, grown in organic farms in Samut Songkhram province, Thailand. (For diehard fans, there's even branded merchandise.)

Delivery cost Varies. 

WeChat ID gogre3n. 

HER Chocolate

Super swanky and crazy decadent, HER Chocolate's deluxe handmade sweets are ideal gifts for dark chocolate enthusiasts – or for yourself when a convenience store bar just won't cut it. All made to order, the menu lists the likes of 70 percent truffles (12RMB per chocolate), rum Saturn chocolate balls (25RMB per chocolate), ganache macarons (17RMB per piece), golden chocolate madeleines (13RMB per piece), orange ganache chocolate tart (35RMB per piece) and more. 

Delivery cost Varies.

Delivery time Around two to five days. 

WeChat Add junjunness for the full menu and to order.

LAIBA

Hosting a party or just chasing bar-quality cocktails without leaving the couch? LAIBA will bring the booze to you. A platform for premium, pre-bottled cocktails, the mixologists at LAIBA prepare and package the drinks and send them with cups, ice and a garnish – so you just shake, pour and go. On the drinks list there's the classics like a whiskey sour, an espresso martini and an (Earl Grey) old fashioned; and then there are LAIBA signatures, including a low-calorie I've Got Passion with cucumber-infused vodka, apple juice, passion fruit puree and stevia syrup. Mix and match six cocktails for 198RMB (or contact LAIBA to preorder a four-litre dispenser).

Although LAIBA technically doesn't have a WeChat store, the cocktails can be easily bought via the official WeChat account and are also available through WeChat store AskJerry. 

Delivery time Around 40 minutes on average. 

WeChat Follow LAIBA来吧鸡尾酒 or Ask_Jerry. 

Strictly Cookies

Sugar, spice and all things nice – that's exactly what these cookies are made of. Founded by Connectican Lexie Comstock, Strictly Cookies dominates the American-style cookie scene in Shanghai with its huge flavour range of chewy, chunky and out-of-this-world sweet treats. There's the classics (chocolate chip, oatmeal and raisin, peanut butter), specialities (red velvet, Funfetti, cinnamon bun), cookie ice cream sandwiches (brownie cookie dough, cookie sliders) and monthly specials. For the health-conscious and dairy-free eaters amongst us, there are also special dietary varieties – including vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free. The average bag of cookies costs 60RMB for five pieces. 

Strictly Cookies' interface is available in Chinese or English, but before you start ordering you will need to sign up for an account – which is very simple and takes about 30 seconds – and then you can pay via WeChat. Plus, you can now buy virtual cookie vouchers to send as gifts. 

Delivery cost Free (minimum order of 100RMB).

Delivery time One day; same-day delivery available for 15RMB. 

WeChat ID Follow StrictlyCookies完全曲奇.

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