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Rejoice! London’s foodies are getting a new place to argue about where to eat the city’s best dumplings or whether Salt Bae is actually a misunderstood maverick genius. And it’s not an east London café with a string of symbols instead of a name, either. It’s new community-focused food app DELLI, which is the handiwork of Depop creator Simon Beckerman. He’s teamed up with Natalie Lee Joe, former owner of now-closed Hackney yakitori restaurant Jidori, to create an online marketplace and community for food obsessives.
The basic idea sounds like it’s inspired by how the most forward-looking small food producers interact on Instagram: makers will share the stories and concepts behind their food, and have more space to connect with consumers. The aim is to put sustainability first (and food waste last) by focusing on local communities and releasing food in ‘drops’: an approach already popular with big-on-Insta makers. And some of London’s most-hyped food names are already on board, including My Neighbours the Dumplings, 40ft Brewery, Mama Chen, Tacos Padre, Lil Wong Bakes, Kefir Magic and Rapscallion Soda.
Delli will get a full launch in February 2022, but there’s a chance to participate in stages before then. To get involved, sign up to the waitlist here, and meet indie food makers without leaving your neighbourhood (or even your bed).
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