Hackney-born DabbaDrop expands across London following investment round

DabbaDrop, the city’s first plastic and emissions free takeaway, is delighted to announce that delivery will be available across all postcodes in Zones 1-3 in London from 13th April. It is remarkable progress for the closed-loop business which launched in 2018, hand-delivering plant-based curries locally in Hackney.

Founded by two female neighbourhood friends, Anshu Ahuja and Renee Williams, DabbaDrop was born out of a passion for food and community. Anshu’s family recipes became the basis for each meal delivered in Mumbai’s reusable stainless-steel tiffin tins known as dabbas.

It is inspired by the Indian dabbawalla tradition of the lunch delivery and return service. The stackable dabbas arrive filled with South-Asian inspired food, then swapped on delivery for old ones. All meals are vegan and set menus change weekly, combining quality seasonal ingredients with bold, bright flavours.

Unlike on-demand takeaway platforms, DabbaDrop’s expansion was a slow, considered process. The business’s closed-loop model, committed to zero plastics and emissions, required consistency. Over the last four years, DabbaDrop’s expansion has been driven by demand in each area from new customers, with thousands of customers on the waiting list for delivery to their postcode.

Starting from their base in Hackney, the business grew to postcodes across East and North London to begin with, followed by South, Central and West London. All deliveries are made on push bikes, Ebikes and electric vans, saving almost 18,500kg of greenhouse gasses from polluting the city.

Fresh from their first investment round, DabbaDrop raised just under half a million pounds, alongside a crowdfunding campaign which gained almost 150 investors in a matter of days. Anshu and Renee aim to deliver London-wide by the end of 2023 then multi-city in the next 18 months, in addition to widening their menu to offer curries from across the globe.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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