Varenik & Pelmen exists because of two dishes. Lamb pelmeni and sweet cherry vareniki — made in a grandmother’s kitchen, eaten at her table. The name of the brand is the name of those two dishes. Everything else followed from there.
Where It Began
The food came first. It always does.
Growing up with Eastern European food means a specific set of memories. The smell of dough. The sound of water coming to the boil. A table set before anyone was asked to sit down. Food made by someone who knew how to make it — not from a recipe, from repetition.
For us, that food was pelmeni and vareniki. Lamb pelmeni: small, dense, the filling deeply seasoned, served with a heap of sour cream and fried onions. Sweet cherry vareniki: soft dough, fruit that had collapsed slightly during cooking, a bowl of something that existed on the border between dinner and dessert.
These were not special occasion dishes. They were the food of ordinary days — which is the highest category there is. Food you ate when nothing was happening and the eating was the point.
The Recipes We Kept
The recipes did not come down on paper. They came down through watching and repetition — which means they are also alive, not fixed. The proportions are approximate. The technique is the knowledge.
What we kept: the ratio of dough to filling, the importance of the pinch seal, the specific combination of meats in pelmeni, the way the cherry filling behaves if you let it sit in the dough too long. The things that are not written anywhere because they never needed to be.
What we brought to the menu: the same dishes, made by hand, served the same way. Lamb and beef pelmeni. Sweet cherry vareniki. And the wider family — potato, mushroom, cabbage, strawberry, cheese and spinach. The toppings that belong alongside them: sour cream, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, crispy bacon, fresh herbs, berry jam.
Nothing invented. Nothing omitted that should be there.
Why London
London needed this food. That is the honest answer.
Eastern European food is significant, old, and deeply embedded in the lives of millions of people across Europe. It was nearly invisible in London. Not because the food was lacking — because the opportunity had not been taken.
We did not start this because it was easy. We started it because this food deserves to be in London.
At the TERN Food Power event in May 2026, we served 70 portions in two hours. Sold out. Seventy percent of the people who tried the food were trying pelmeni or vareniki for the first time. They came back for seconds.
London was ready. It just needed someone to show up.
What We Stand For
The concept is simple. Self-serve. Pay by weight. Toppings included.
You walk in. You see the dumplings. You take what you want. You pay for what you take at £5 per 100g — a typical bowl comes to £10–12 and it is a proper meal. The toppings are on the table. They are not a charge. They are part of the bowl.
No ceremony. No complex menu to decode. No additions to calculate.
“Take what you want, pay for what you take” is not just a strapline. It describes exactly how the thing works.
The food is handmade. The dough is made fresh. Each dumpling is shaped and sealed by hand. That is not a marketing claim — you can see it. Each one is slightly different. That is what handmade looks like. It is better than uniform.
We are not trying to be a nostalgia project. We are not selling heritage as a concept. We are selling food — the actual dishes, made the actual way, served hot with the actual toppings.
The grandmother’s recipes got us here. The food is what brings people back for more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who started Varenik & Pelmen?
Varenik & Pelmen was founded by Ivan, a solo founder with Eastern European roots. The brand takes its name from the two dumpling types at the heart of the menu: vareniki and pelmeni. The recipes come from family tradition — specifically lamb pelmeni and sweet cherry vareniki.
Are the recipes traditional?
Yes. The recipes are not invented or adapted for a Western market. They are the dishes as they exist in the Eastern European tradition — the fillings, the dough ratio, the cooking method, the toppings. What is new is the format: self-serve, pay-by-weight, in London.
What makes your dumplings different?
They are handmade, which means the dough is thinner in places, the seal is proper, and each dumpling is slightly individual. The filling recipes are from family tradition rather than commercial formula. The toppings — sour cream, crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, fried onions, fresh herbs, berry jam — are all included. You do not pay extra for them.
Where can I try them?
Find us at our upcoming pop-ups and markets on the /find-us/ page. We also offer frozen 200g packs at £9 to take home and cook yourself. See /about/ for the full story.