Young Wellington businesswoman gets top foodie backing

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Dumplings to be the new pie?

Young Wellington businesswoman gets top foodie backing

Vicky Ha could take the fast food market by storm after some of the country’s top experts swung in behind her business.

Vicky’s business House of Dumplings has been named as one of four winners of the Sustainable Business Network’s Good Food Boost competition.

As part of the competition prize House of Dumplings and the other three winners will all receive eight weeks’ mentoring from some of the country’s top foodies. These include communications guru Martin Yeoman of Assignment, Karen Staples owner and founder of Auckland-based food company Pure Delish, Kim Evans founder of premium food stores Little & Friday, and Mike Murphy managing director of Kokako Organic coffee.

The teams will also take their wares to the FoodBowl food innovation facility in Mangere, where they can test out new production and packaging ideas.

House of Dumplings produces a range of handmade traditional dumplings using quality ingredients. It started out in Wellington, but has since expanded to Auckland and into supermarkets around the country.

“I have been with the Sustainable Business Network for a while now,” says Vicky. “I talked to them about how to move into Auckland. So I know I will be getting the help I really need with this.”

The other winners are:

• Real Eating Awesome Living: a fast-growing business selling real vegetable wraps, a tasty gluten, grain and wheat-free bread alternative.

• Farm Gate Produce: ‘from gate to plate’ free range pork cuts, sausages, salami and Chorizo from Northland.

• Wise Boys Burgers: a vegan burger trailer in Auckland.

The competition is sponsored by Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED).

It was judged by

• Angus Brown, Business Development Manager at New Zealand Food Innovation Network;

• Connie Clarkson, Panuku Development Auckland;

• Wendy Voegelin, Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development;

• Emily Dowding-Smith, Sustainable Business Network.

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