Bumblebee to ensure babies develop a healthy and sustainable link with food

Naushad K. Cherrayil

January 18, 2023

Bumblebee to ensure babies develop a healthy and sustainable link with food

A ready-made frozen meal plan and catering to the needs of new parents were born to provide nutritious and delicious meals for babies and toddlers.
Saudi Arabia is on the radar but Qadreya’s immediate expansion plan is for the products to be available at leading supermarkets in the UAE.

Necessity is the mother of all inventions and it has proved it right in the case of the Emirati Founder and CEO of Bumblebee – Qadreya Al Awadhi.

The idea of her business began when she babysat her friend’s son who was being weaned and realised they couldn’t find any healthy or nutritious meals for him at the supermarket or local grocery.

“The foods at the supermarkets carry a one-year expiry date and the food had no taste or flavour. I realised that there are no healthy options for babies. Most of the time, the foods available at the stores are more aged than the baby itself,” Qadreya told TechChannel News.

She identified this gap in the market and was determined to help mothers provide a healthy alternative for their babies. Thus, Bumblebee, a ready-made frozen meal plan for babies and toddlers and catering to the needs of new parents, was born to provide nutritious and delicious meals for babies and toddlers.

Hassle-free meal planning

“I started consulting with paediatric nutritionists to help me launch baby meals with the right nutrition. We have a kitchen and a certified chef to cook fresh food. Ingredients are sourced locally from organic farms. Since it is fresh food, the product can stay in the freezer for two months.

“Our protein is hormone-free and grass-fed. All our food is cooked from scratch, including our sauces. We offer various new flavours and textures to every meal to cater to every child’s needs,” she said.

Moreover, she said that her idea is to help working moms, moms-on-the-go and new moms with easy and hassle-free meal planning.

“Our product is specifically designed for easy transportation and mess-free feeding. Our product fits in mommy’s purses, and kids’ lunchbox and is even suitable for airplane carry. We believe that babies and toddlers should have their meals sourced naturally and organically to ensure long-term health.

“We also believe in feeding your child a wide variety of foods, which is why we cook with all kinds of ingredients and have seasonal menus. We do not use any processed ingredients,” she said.

Challenging job

Born and raised in Dubai, Qadreya studied Finance at Zayed University followed by masters from The University of Wollongong in International Business. Despite working as a banker, she finds time to manage her business. She also received a certification in culinary school before establishing Bumblebee.

“Initially, it was challenging to manage both sides of the job. I love being a woman and young. The idea came into my mind when I was in college. My job also helped me elevate and manage my business. My family also really supported me,” she said.

The products can be booked at https://www.bumblebeefood .com and delivered to your doorstep.

Qadreya started with AED 150,000 and broke even a couple of months ago.

“I was supposed to launch Bumblebee in 2020 but Covid delayed the plans and officially launched late last year. The business took off from Dubai and right now covers the entire UAE, targeting six months to four-year-olds.

Expansion plan

There are two local brands to compete with, she said and added that what makes them different from them is that their products are developed by a certified paediatric nutritionist and it is frozen.

“My next plan is for the baby meals to be available at leading supermarkets in the UAE. We are in talks with some of them. Saudi Arabia is on the radar as part of expansion but she is planning anything soon and the focus is to expand it further in the UAE itself,” Qadreya said.

However, to grow the brand further, she hopes to start talking to nurseries and schools as part of UAE’s National Strategy for wellbeing 2031.

“We plan to play a key role in this strategy as food is very important and you are what you eat. The habit that you build as a baby carries with you to adulthood. So, we aim to educate parents, caregivers and schools about the importance of healthy food as there is no salt or sugar in our products,” she said.

When asked about her mission, she said that her mission is to ensure babies develop a healthy and sustainable relationship with food.

“When we expand beyond the UAE after 2025, we need to raise more cash or look for an investor.