Frozen dumpling sales are growing rapidly in China as rising labour costs and the increasing ranks of working mothers have made it too time-consuming to fill and fold them from scratch.
General Mills, the US food company, is the leading frozen dumpling maker in China, with its popular Wanchai Ferry brand accounting for 44 per cent of the market. Gary Chu, head of General Mills’ China business, said dumpling sales were growing at double-digit rates annually and topped $200m last year.
“People used to make dumplings at home but now nobody has the time because it’s messy,” Mr Chu told the Financial Times. “Today’s woman doesn’t want to cook any more.”