This London Food Delivery Company Is Inspired By Mumbai Dabbawalas

Long before food delivery apps were launched, Mumbai’s dabbawalas had already established a highly efficient system of food delivery. Even today, they cater to thousands of office workers daily. Now, a London-based company has started a thriving business inspired by Mumbai’s famed dabbawalas. The company, founded by Anshu Ahuja and Renee Williams, serves freshly made home food in tiffin boxes. Their model follows the sustainability model of the dabba system which is devoid of any single-use cutlery or packaging.

Recently an X user shared a video of this delivery company on X and wrote, “Foreigners copied our dabbawala Tiffin idea and launched their own Startup Dabba drop.” Many people argued that the English company was a good tribute to Mumbai’s dabbawalas.

An X user commented on the video, “I think one of the founders has Indian roots – Anshu Ahuja. It’s more like a cultural export. Making Indian food more Popular. Good to see they retained the word dabba to show the origin. Food looks good.”

Someone else wrote, “We always knew metal containers are the best non toxic safest option! And then the West introduced us to fancy plastic containers! And our old idea is a million dollar startup today. Wait until microwaves end and stove cooking with metal containers thrive.”

An X user noted, “Dabbawalas did not scale up beyond Mumbai, in spite of years of experience. I won’t be surprised if these kinds of startups set shop in India, and spread across the country.”

Another person asserted, “A few decades ago, Harvard did extensive research on Mumbai dabba fresh meals delivery and the study became a hit documentary. That it became study material so this is the outcome. They also studied kumbha mela too extensively.”

DabbaDrop first started in 2018 and is now valued at £2.7 million. The food delivery company offers southeast asian cuisines. One DabbaDrop meal costs £30 (approximately Rs 3,000). The company claims that one tiffin box has enough food for two servings. The food can last up to two days. Since they work on a pre-order system they only make as per the order numbers which helps them cut any food waste.