Wenjun Xiang launched her career while still at school. Less 10 years later, still only 26, she runs Xi Home Dumplings Bay, whose three London venues showcase the cuisine of her home city – Dalian, a busy port in northeast China. Harden’s met her at the newest branch, which opened a year ago in Blossom Street, Spitalfields.
HARDEN’S: Wenjun, it is wonderful to meet you here. To start with, can you tell us if you are from a family in the restaurant trade?
Wenjun: My Dad’s a chef, my Mum a banker – but it was my grandfather who was the chef of the family and got me interested in cooking. When I was young, in Dalian, he would pick me up every day after school and we would discuss what was for dinner. Food was the main talking point in the family.
How did you get into the business yourself?
I came to the UK when I was 12, to prepare for my GCSEs – and started my first business when I was 13, selling bespoke decorated canvas shoes. I made a lot of money but I had to give it up after a couple of years – it was very time-consuming, and I had exams coming up.
Then I started selling frozen dumplings online with my mum, in ten different flavours. It worked really well so we thought, let’s have a physical location. Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall in Colindale was starting point – we added some little side dishes, but the concept of dumplings was the main event.
And you were still studying at this stage?
Yes, I was in the sixth form and first year of university. I was putting into practice what I learned about supply and demand in A-level economics. Later, I studied for a degree in economics at Royal Holloway, and then did a masters at Imperial College to enhance entrepreneurship…
I work with my mother, which is not easy – I see her every day! But I couldn’t work for a company or for a boss – I’m too strong-minded about things. I was always the rebellious child of the family!
So you clearly believe in learning from both theory and practice! But how did you manage to combine working on a start-up with your studies? Do you just have more energy than most people?
Well, that’s what my friends say! I also go to the gym six days a week – I need to release the stress and lifting weights is the best way to do it. And by the way, that has also changed my attitude to the nutritional value of food, which is useful.
I have also spent time in Paris, studying cooking and patisserie. During the pandemic, I also saw the opportunity to open a bubble tea shop near the Covent Garden restaurant, so I bought a franchise from the Taiwanese company, and now I want to turn it into a bakery.
This newest branch of Xi Home, in a modern building on the edge of the City, does not feel like a traditional Chinese restaurant. How did you go about creating a restaurant that is modern and at the same time authentic?
When they eat out these days, people want more quality rather than more choice. They want a better vibe, good service and a more social experience, with memories that they can keep rather than just food.
So I wanted to shrink the menu, and focus on food that makes people feel happy, that brings joy.
I also want people to understand the real flavour of Dalian, as well as promoting the culture behind it, the culture of my home city. Authenticity comes from flavour and ingredients, but I believe you can keep the flavour authentic while changing the presentation.
I am interested in modern marketing, packaging, merchandising and interior design – we work with the Black Sheep interior design company. We also run events such as dumpling-making classes every Saturday, to help people engage with our traditions. But also events like International Dog Day in August, when we’re encouraging guests to bring their dogs – we’re even working with Marley Bones, a specialist dog food brand, on developing dumplings for dogs!
Do have any advice for other would-be entrepreneurs?
Everybody at some point wants to quit their job and start their own business. My advice is, if you really want to do it, don’t wait until you are 100% ready: that day never comes. You have to do it when you’re 70% ready, otherwise it’ll never happen – you’ve got to start somewhere, so if you want to do it, just do it.
You have to be prepared to take risks and make mistakes, so start small. Be patient and take very small steps to see if it is going to work out. You will make mistakes, so you have to be able to afford them.
You must learn from experience, and you must never be afraid to ask for help or advice before you need it. Be brave enough to ask and learn from others! When I was young I was so scared about asking for help, but when I reached a point when I was struggling and was forced to seek advice, I realised most people are friendly and want to help – they get rewarded when they see me growing.
Landlords in particular can be very helpful. I was 19 or 20 when I first did a presentation to Shaftesbury [the powerful West End property company]. They didn’t judge me, and I still have a good relationship with them.
So what is coming next for Xi Home – and for you?
The next shop will be a warehouse unit in East London and maybe potential restaurants in King’s Cross, Battersea, Soho or the Canary Wharf area. We’re playing around with a barbecue concept – I don’t want to do a copy-and-paste or become a fast-food or chain brand, losing our character and authenticity.
That’s why we’re financing our growth through our own revenue – rather than complying with what an investor wants. This way I have control over my life, and I don’t have to do the same thing every day.
More generally, I think there’s a lot of potential in life, I can do a lot of different things, work in different countries and locations. But I don’t want to have one big target, because that imposes limits and means there’s nothing to look forward to. I want to be unlimited in my life, with lots of smaller targets.
So, I want to build a brand that will bring happiness to people. And I’ve always wanted to do a PhD or an MBA, possibly a course at Stanford Business School. And I want to go back to France to learn more about cooking.
Thank you very much Wenjun – it’s been a pleasure talking to you, and I’d like to wish you all the best with your future plans, wherever they take you.
Xi Home Dumplings Bay is at
10 Blossom Street, E1 6PL
43 Chandos Place, WC2N 4HS
Bang Bang Oriental Food Hall, 399 Edgware Road, NH9 0FH
www.wjxfoodculture.co.uk
