Qadreya Al Awadhi's quest: Revolutionizing baby nutrition with Bumblebee

In this captivating interview, Bumblebee founder Qadreya Al Awadhi shares the heartwarming and inspiring tale of the company’s origins. From the discovery that sparked her mission to the challenges faced along the way, Qadreya Al Awadhi's insights offer a glimpse into the world of nutritious baby meal plans. As Bumblebee continues to empower parents with healthier choices and cultivate a positive food culture, her vision stands as a beacon of hope for the well-being of our youngest generation.

 

Can you share the story behind the creation of Bumblebee? What inspired you to start a business focused on nutritious meal plans for babies and toddlers?

I was babysitting my friend's son, and was feeding him the supermarket brand pack. I noticed that it lacked taste and colour. So I turned packet around and found that it was manufactured before the baby was even born! This is why I started Bumblebee, to offer parents healthy, delicious and nutritious ways to feed their children.

How did your experience babysitting your friend's son lead you to recognize the need for healthier and more nutritious meal options for children in the region?

I was looking for alternatives to feed him but couldn't find any, so I had no choice but to cook for him. I started experimenting with my family and friends and did my own market search. I took all their feedback and developed the products with the help of a child nutritionist.

In a market where baby food options already exist, what unique aspects does Bumblebee bring to the table? How do your products stand out from the competition?

Ours is the only frozen baby food in the country. The packaging is reusable and resealable, specifically made for easy travel to help working moms and moms on the go. Of course, contrary to supermarket brands, our method of cooking actually preserves the nutrients of the meals.

How do you ensure that each product is both nutritious and flavorful?

Bumblebee emphasizes the use of locally sourced ingredients and hormone-free, grass-fed proteins. 

How do these sourcing choices contribute to the quality and healthiness of your products?

In today's world of consumption and globalization, especially with the rise in global population, the need to feed all those people is being advantage of by greedy corporations. For example, many companies pup their chickens full of antibiotics and hormones to grow bigger in a matter of weeks. Many vegetables are sprayed with chemicals to make them grow bigger and retain their colour. Studies have shown that none of those are actually healthy for the human body; hence we make it a mission to protect the little ones from harmful chemicals. Our local farmers do not use any chemicals. In fact, we are growing our own farm to self-supply as the business grows.

With concerns about childhood obesity on the rise, how does Bumblebee's approach to meal plans contribute to addressing this issue?

At Bumblebee, we do not use any processed foods, any salt, sugar or preservatives. We believe in keeping our food clean, as data shows that introducing ingredients like salt, sugar, and butter actually contributes to childhood obesity. Our 'fats' are actually pure ingredients like avocados, olives, or nuts. We believe in making our foods from scratch; this also includes our own sauces and pastas so we can control the ingredients put inside.

What challenges did you face when starting and growing Bumblebee? How did you overcome these challenges?

The biggest challenge was arranging logistics. My food is temperature-sensitive; and finding a partner to deliver the packages on time in a temperature-controlled van was the biggest challenge. In fact, I went through 13 suppliers before finding the right partner.

Bumblebee's mission includes fostering a healthy relationship with food for children. Can you elaborate on how your products and approach achieve this goal?

I noticed that there is a lack of vegetables in children's diets as popular cuisines mostly focus on carbs and protein. The lack of vegetables, especially green veggies, often leads kids to grow and become picky eaters. At Bumblebee we have a team of certified chefs that understands the complexity of flavour and cleverly cook the less popular vegetables in a method that appeals to children. By introducing children to new ingredients, we help them grow out of their picky eating phase and form a healthy relationship with food.

The Immunity-Boost and Iron Man Pack are recent additions to your product range. Could you share some insights into the nutritional benefits these packs offer for babies?

We often have moms reach out to us whose babies have low iron, or are underweight. We carefully created and tested many products to help babies grow healthier in a natural way. For instance, our Iron Man pack has iron-rich ingredients and vitamin C to help aid adsorption. We use natural and clean ingredients like beetroot, broccoli and grass-fed beef.

Bumblebee supports the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031. How does your company align with this strategy, and what steps are you taking to contribute to the well-being of children in the UAE?

One of the main pillars of the strategy is to build a healthy society; we aim to do so by providing our children with healthy meals that will them grow into becoming healthy adults. We aim to educate caregivers and schools about the importance of early childhood nutrition and the impact it has on adulthood.

As a female founder and CEO in the business world, what advice do you have for other aspiring women entrepreneurs who want to make a positive impact through their own ventures?

I would say study your market, and do your own R&D before you launch to understand the market dynamics. This country has many mechanisms in place to support small businesses and this country also supports women pursuing their passions. I say make use of it and take that leap of faith and invest in yourself.

Can you share some success stories or feedback from parents who have used Bumblebee products for their children?

We have many happy moms; in fact, most our customers are returning moms. I personally contact parents to get their feedback and much of it has helped me grow. For instance, we launched the Iron Man pack and the Immunity Pack because of their feedback. We also introduced allergen-friendly foods for kids who are sensitive to dairy, gluten, eggs and nuts.

In terms of the future, what are your aspirations for Bumblebee? Are there any exciting developments or plans that you can share with us?

We hope to grow to become the first choice of meals for moms in the UAE. We are in talks with some retailers to stock our meals at supermarkets, but it is still too early.