Uber Eats rolls out robot couriers in Leeds

Uber Eats has rolled out autonomous deliveries in Leeds in collaboration with Starship Technologies.

On Thursday, the firms announced the rollout of a new fleet of green robots that will help deliver meals and essentials for locals in the Headingley, Burley and Hyde Park areas of the city.

The robots can complete deliveries in under 30 minutes for distances of up to two kilometres and operate at high autonomy, though someone is always overseeing them for assistance if needed.

The robot fleet will be used to support seasonal peaks for on-demand orders, with Uber Eats data showing a 200 per cent increase in searches for Christmas food classic “pigs in blankets” on the platform across the UK last December.

The delivery company added that small meals such as burgers, Greek wraps, Pad Thai and chocolate chip cookies could also be among the main orders delivered by robots.

Starship robots have already completed over nine million deliveries worldwide, travelling up to 125,000 roads per day around the world.

The robots mainly travel on pavements, with the aim of helping to reduce local traffic congestion and emissions. According to Starship Technologies, the robots have so far prevented over 700 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere in Europe, with an average delivery consuming as much energy as it takes to boil water for a cup of tea.

Saskia de Jongh, Uber’s EMEA general manager, said that autonomous innovation will support the delivery service during one of the busiest periods of the year.

“It’s so exciting that our new global partnership with Starship Technologies will first launch in Leeds, meaning we can offer local customers a fast new way to get what they need delivered, whether that’s a piping hot Pad Thai or party food essentials,” de Jongh added.

Mark Burnard, co-owner of Jino’s Thai Cafe in Leeds, said robots are ‘a fantastic way’ to keep up with customer demand for food.

“This cutting-edge technology will help us keep delivering more fresh, hot meals to our loyal customers,” he added.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, deputy leader and councillor for Headingley and Hyde Park, also praised the initiative: “I’m really proud that Leeds is leading the way and that Uber Eats has chosen the city as its first European robot venture!”

The firms said the partnership in the UK, which was announced last month, will be followed by others in several European countries in 2026, and US expansion planned for 2027.

Starship Technologies currently operates the largest autonomous delivery network globally, with around 2,700 robots operating across more than 270 locations in eight countries.