Davai: Flavourful Plant-Based Dumplings That “Use Vegetables in the Best Possible Way”

From vegconomist.com

Founded in Belgium in 2016, Davai Dumplings produces flavourful plant-based dumplings packed with vegetables. The company aims to offer vegan options that emphasise nutritious whole foods rather than meat alternatives.

Lately, Davai has begun working to save vegetables that would otherwise go to waste, with help from the Dutch organisation No Waste Army. The brand recently obtained two pallets of broccoli that had been rejected by supermarkets for being too small, processing 500kg of it into 70,000 dumplings. The products sold out within days, with many going to existing partners such as recipe box brand Foodbag.

Davai’s dumplings are inspired by pelmeni, a traditional Eastern European snack. However, they also contain flavours originating from other regions, such as Asia and Italy.

Two varieties are currently available for retail — Sweet Tomato Chili and Creamy Cauliflower. The dumplings are sold frozen and can be prepared in minutes.

                                                                                                                                                                © Davai Dumplings

“Fun and surprising”

Davai’s founders, Ruslan Podgaetskiy and Maybritt Devriese, were still students when they started the company. After graduating, they gained their first retail listing at supermarket chain Colruyt, enlisting a group of students to produce the dumplings by hand.

Later, Davai acquired a dumpling machine and a production facility in the village of Schellebelle. Over a million dumplings have now been produced at the facility, and the brand has gained listings at Colruyt subsidies Okay and Bioplanet. The dumplings are also sold via delivery services such as crisp and Collect&Go, along with Gorillas in the Netherlands. Additionally, they are available for food service.

In 2022, Davai announced a strategic partnership with Belgian food group Ter Beke, which rebranded as What’s Cooking? last year. The deal involved an investment of over €500,000, along with assistance in the marketing and distribution of the Davai brand.

“Davai’s goal is not to imitate meat products under the name of meat substitutes, but to use vegetables in the best possible way in a vegan product where flavours and nutritious ingredients are central,” says the brand on its website. “That’s why we think dumplings are the perfect way to show that sustainable food can be fun and surprising and to integrate vegan food a little more into your life.”

https://vegconomist.com/company-news/davai-plant-based-dumplings-vegetables/