A brighter, greener future begins with the choices that we make today: Qadreya Al Awadhi

Emirati entrepreneur Qadreya Al Awadhi runs a UAE-based homegrown business called Bumblebee Food that has been selected to be part of the United Nations Women’s Programme. With a strong belief that “a brighter, greener future begins with the choices that we make today,” Al Awadhi offers readymade frozen meal plans for babies and toddlers.

In an exclusive interview with IMAGES RetailME she spoke about what led her to start Bumblebee Food and future plans.

What inspired you to start Bumblebee?

I’ve always been surrounded by children of family members and friends. I got to see first-hand what they eat and how that affected their lifestyle after a while. However, none of this really hit home until I babysat my friend’s son. There was lack of fresh and healthy options to feed him at the time, and all that was available were supermarket brands that had additives and preservatives. This is when I noticed the gap in the market and started cooking fresh food from scratch.

Tell us about three things that you’d like to achieve for your business by 2025.

I’d love to build a strong and loyal customer base. I hope to start selling in supermarkets in the medium term to ensure a wider customer reach. Finally, I hope to continue educating parents, caregivers and the society about the importance of inculcating healthy eating habits among children.

An entrepreneur’s life is full of ups and downs, how do you stay motivated on bad days?

Whenever I’m faced with a challenge, I always take a step back, take a deep breath and remember why I started this business, which is to provide children with healthy and nutritious food. This makes me more focused and motivated, and of course, I’ve the support of my friends and family who cheer me up on a bad day.