The $7.50 dumplings that sold 21 million pieces in 2020 alone

A product sold in Coles and Woolies netted its creator $10 million last year, leaving her “shocked” and shoppers pleading for bigger packs.

It appears the one supermarket item Aussies can’t get enough of is … dumplings.

But not just any dumplings: Golden Wok Diana Chan’s $7.50 range, which sold 21 million pieces at Woolies and Coles in 2020 alone. That’s equivalent to a whopping $10 million in gross sales.

Safe to say it’s doing a good job in satisfying dumpling lovers across the country.

And the woman partly responsible for its success is 2017 MasterChef winner Diana Chan.

Hot off her win on the popular cooking show, the 33-year-old was approached by family-owned Aussie business Golden Wok to collaborate on producing something that would have Aussies begging for more – and didn’t it just.

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Golden Wok Diana Chan’s Dumpling range has sold 21 million pieces/dumplings in 2020 alone, at Woolies and Coles.

Known for its traditional wholesome and quality Asian cuisines, Golden Wok and Chan quickly came up with the now popular dumplings range.

It was a year in the making before products hit shelves in 2018, and while Chan created each of the fillings with her deep knowledge of Asian cuisine, they still needed to get the ultimate tick of approval – from co-owner Kevin Cahya’s 79-year-old grandmother Elly Meriati Tjangdjaja.

“She’s there [at the factory] every day, tasting every batch of dumplings that come out and so you know for a fact the quality is going to be good when the head of family is there to make sure it’s done right,” Chan told news.com.au.

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2017 MasterChef winner Diana Chan, 33, collaborated with Golden Wok to create the popular dumplings. Picture: Instagram/diana.chan.au

Demand for the range has increased by 45.8 per cent at Woolies and 38 per cent at Coles, positioning the range as the number one selling small packet sized dumplings nationwide.

The various dumpling flavours, which include Szechuan pork, Thai chicken and Korean beef, are similar to the recipes Diana made on MasterChef.

But Chan said much of the success of the product lies in the ingredients being sourced locally.

“It’s made in a factory in Richmond and the ingredients are all local, and that’s what people look for,” she said.

“The brand tries to support local and create as many jobs as it can and I think that’s what resonates with a lot of Aussies, seeing how it supports the local economy.”

The dumpling flavours are similar to the recipes Diana Chan made on MasterChef. Picture: Supplied

However, apart from that, another big selling point is the ease of preparing the dumplings. They only take 10 minutes to cook and with Aussies in and out of lockdown, Chan said people are after quick, easy and tasty meals.

“Lots of people are working from home now and have crazy lifestyles, so I think it’s important to have products that are ready-to-go without compromising the taste and quality.”

The dumplings, which come frozen, are in such demand, Golden Wok was forced to increase the size of its two most popular flavours – Szechuan pork and Thai chicken – after customers complained the 230g pack wasn’t enough.

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There’s been such a huge demand for the dumplings, two more flavours have now been released – BBQ pork and honey soy chicken. Picture: Supplied

“Over the Covid period, sales were particularly good at Woolworths as more people were eating at home with Szechuan pork and Thai chicken being the most popular, but some people complained the packs weren’t big enough,” Chan said. Golden Wok has also now released two new flavours to satisfy customers’ cravings – BBQ pork and honey soy chicken.

Speaking to news.com.au, Golden Wok director Kevin Cahya said he had no idea just how successful the range would become.

“We were shocked with the sales and this is because the industry is very competitive and inundated with foreign imports from Vietnam, Thailand and China,” he said.

The $7.50 item comes frozen, but takes just 10 minutes to cook. Picture: Supplied

He admitted at first there was a lot of uncertainty whether the range would be successful, however Chan, together with his team focused on getting the recipe to the highest standard.

“We did everything we could to ensure it would be a success,” he said.

“We have people buying our dumplings to use at their cafes, restaurants or bars. The convenience is an important aspect, as having to individually wrap dumplings or order takeout would probably take longer.”

Golden Wok itself is a true Australian success story that started at the hands of Mr Cahya’s great-grandfather and farmer Mr Makmur.

“Food is part of his DNA and when immigrating to Australia he wanted to share his food journey with his community. During political turmoil and difficult periods, food was always a safe industry to be in,” Mr Cahya said.

However, like any business, it too has faced its fair share of challenges and it’s not over yet.

“While Covid-19 has tested us, the family we have at our factory together with the support of every Australian who purchases our products, have assisted us through these tough times.”