DELLI, an online platform for independent food and drink, announced a $6 million seed extension to capitalize on recent momentum. Launched by Depop alumni Marie Petrovicka and Simon Beckerman, DELLI has seen 16 times growth in sales since last year. Offering thousands of new products and hundreds of thousands of items sold, customers doubled their basket size on the platform and returned twice as often.
The idea behind DELLI is based on the theory that food is the new fashion. And food has surpassed fashion in popularity on social media, with new generations exploring food more than ever in the digital world. Fashion brands have been watching closely with collaborations such as Off White with Evian, Supreme with Barbera Oil, and Momo Kombucha with Ganni.
DELLI is taking on this trend by offering the next generation of buyers a new way to shop for food. It draws cues from fashion, leveraging strategies such as exclusive drops and influencer collaborations to reinvent the way food is sold.
Over the last few months, DELLI partnered with Ravneet Gill, Ben Lippett, Jackson Boxer, James Cochrane or Sam Grainger, to name a few. And the platform’s aesthetic and emphasis on origin and storytelling mirror the ethos of independent makers. DELLI enables buyers to discover and buy food from independent food makers in an inspiring way, delivering products that used to be available only locally all across the UK.
DELLI brings the best local independent makers to buyers all across the UK. It has also focused on bringing the best small-batch producers from London to their national fans.
Now the company is doubling down on expanding its maker base regionally too, working on local partnerships in key cities: for example, Manchester’s cult bakery Pollen recently launched their croissant butter for the first time exclusively on DELLI, selling out twice in less than a week. Plus, regional partnerships are underway in cities such as Bristol, Edinburgh and Birmingham.
This funding will expand DELLI’s offering and introduce more convenient delivery options for buyers. And DELLI will also launch more exclusive drops and exciting collaborations that connect food with fashion and music.
The key work on the seller side will be in building tools so that more independent food & drink sellers can start and grow their businesses on DELLI, following in the footsteps of some of the most successful sellers, such as Mama Yu, Dudu Eats or Christina Sots, who have launched and scaled their businesses on the platform, growing side hustles into substantial businesses that routinely sell out drops of thousands of products in hours.
KEY QUOTES:
“We see a mega trend in the way food is consumed. Buyers are stepping away from overprocessed, mass produced food to small batch, independently made products. They want to discover new food with a story behind it. With DELLI, we are excited to continue giving space to these makers and building a platform that will give buyers easy access to the new generation of unique and independent sellers, making shopping for food inspiring and fun! On the seller side, DELLI is developing tools that allow the small batch producers to start and grow their business and connect with buyers in an easy way, helping overcome some of the big roadblocks they face in the current system dominated by supermarkets. We can’t wait to bring more real food to more people all across the UK!”
-Marie Petrovicka, CEO of DELLI
“Since stepping into the CEO role, Marie has taken DELLI’s growth to the next level, and the momentum is remarkable. Doubling down on our investment was a no-brainer, and I’m excited for what’s to come. DELLI has been one step ahead of shifting consumer behaviours around food and drink, and as more and more people opt for quality, independent craftsmanship over mass-produced and ultra-processed products, I have no doubt DELLI’s growth will continue to soar.”
-Daniel Waterhouse, General Partner at Balderton Capital
“I’m excited to support the growing community of creative food makers who are reshaping the way we experience food. DELLI is here to give these independent producers a platform to share their passion and story, making it easier for buyers to discover and enjoy unique, small-batch products that truly stand out.”
-Simon Beckerman, Chief Creative Office and Co-founder at DELLI
