Hazel

Eat with someone.

Hazel is an iPhone app for arranging a home cooked meal between two people at UCLA, where one cooks and the other joins them.

Leave your email

what Hazel is

Some people at UCLA cook. Some can't or don't.
One cooks, the other joins them.

Cooks

A cook gets someone to cook for and eat with.

Guests

A guest gets a home cooked meal and someone to eat it with.

The meal

A meal is 45 minutes. What you can and cannot eat is settled between you and the cook.

Hazel is for arranging a home cooked meal between two people at UCLA.
A cook shares a meal at home, and a guest joins them for it.

how it works

Four steps to a meal

1

The cook shows their meals

A cook shows the meals they make and their kitchen.

2

The guest asks to join

A guest looks at the cooks' meals one cook at a time. They tap one, write a note, and ask to join.

3

The cook picks a guest

The cook picks who joins them. If they say yes, both agree a time in the conversation.

4

Both confirm

After both people confirm the meal, the cook shares the address as a separate step, and the guest sees it from that moment.

who it is for

Two sides of one meal

If you cook
  • You show the meals you make and your kitchen.
  • A guest joins you for a meal.
  • You pick who joins you.
If you don't cook
  • You look at the cooks' meals, one cook at a time.
  • Tap one, write a note, join.
  • If they say yes, you both agree a time.

safety

Before you go

You are agreeing to enter a stranger's home, or to let a stranger into yours. Tell someone where you are going. Leave if you feel unsafe.

UCLA only for now

Signing in needs a UCLA Google account. Hazel checks that both of you are 18 or older.

The food

Hazel checks nothing about the food: not the kitchen, not the ingredients, not the cook. Hazel asks guests about their diet and allergies and about foods they would rather not eat. Both go to the cook when you ask to join, so a cook deciding whether to accept has already seen them.

Block and report

You can block or report anyone. Blocking takes effect immediately, and afterwards neither of you can reach the other. Hazel is run by Joseph, one UCLA student, not a company. Reports go to Joseph, and he reads every one.

Not on the App Store yet.

Joseph sends a thank-you now and one email when Hazel is on the App Store, and nothing else to this address.

questions

Who can use Hazel?
You need a UCLA Google account, meaning an account on the g.ucla.edu domain, and you need to be 18 or older. UCLA issues these accounts to undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni who kept their account after graduating. Hazel does not check whether you are currently enrolled, and it does not ask.
Does it cost anything?
No. There is no money in Hazel. Nothing changes hands.
Is it on Android?
No. Hazel is an iPhone app.
What does the cook see about me?
When you ask to join, the cook sees your first name, year and major, whatever you wrote with it, your face photo, the cuisines you like, your diet and allergies, the foods you would rather not eat and your note about yourself, all of it before they answer, so they know what they would be cooking around. A guest's profile cannot be browsed.
What does a guest see about me as a cook?
Anyone signed in and looking for a cook sees your first name, year, major, gender, cooking style, how experienced you say you are, your house rule, the prompt you answered and your answer to it, what you say happens after the meal, and your rating average once three people have rated you. They also see your meal photos, a photo of where you cook, a photo of your dining area, and your face photo. Your address is not on your profile.
When is the address shared?
A cook's address is not on their profile. After both people confirm the meal, the cook shares it as a separate step, and the guest sees it from that moment.
What if I have a food allergy?
Hazel asks guests about their diet and allergies and about foods they would rather not eat. Both go to the cook when you ask to join, so a cook deciding whether to accept has already seen them. If you have a food allergy, ask the cook whether they can cook around it, and decide for yourself. Hazel cannot verify what is in any dish.
Are kitchens inspected?
Homes are not inspected. Hazel has no health permit and makes no claim about how any home is run. Hazel does not test food or watch anyone cook.
Can I bring a friend?
No. A meal is between two people, the cook and the guest.
Can I be both a cook and a guest?
Yes. You pick one side when you set up, and you can set up the other side later.
What if I change my mind?
Either person can decide not to go ahead, at any point and for any reason. You can back out of a meal from the conversation, part ways with someone from your meals, or block them if you would rather not talk.