MEET: PURE WORLD DISTRIBUTION:

Cruelty-free doesn’t have to be inconvenient

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Diana Edelman is co-founder of Pure World Distribution.

Mon, Feb 11, 2019 (2 a.m.)

For some people, the convenience of a meat-based diet outweighs their desire for a cruelty-free lifestyle. The ubiquity of meat can make it difficult to adopt a vegan diet. Diana Edelman wants to change that. The founder of Vegans, Baby, has teamed up with vegan restaurateur Nina Manchev to launch Pure World Distribution, which works with restaurants and small retail outlets to get vegan products within easy reach of consumers.

What prompted you to launch Pure World Distribution?

I was having a conversation with an executive chef and he mentioned the idea of starting a vegan food distribution company to complement my main business, Vegans, Baby, which works to make it easier to be vegan in Las Vegas (and around the world). I laughed it off because I had no idea where to start. I was telling my friend Nina Manchev, who owns Forte Tapas and Epicurean Atelier, a food distribution company, and we jokingly said we should partner and do it. The rest is history.

What products do you offer?

We offer vegan products for restaurant and retail, including VioLife and Good PLANet cheese, JUST products like the in-demand mung bean egg, as well as being the exclusive distributor for the TGI Vegan Fried Egg and Herbivorous Butcher. We are always adding boutique vegan products to our distribution. I talk with vegan businesses and restaurants all the time and am always looking for cool new vegan foods to bring into the city.

How many are on your team and what are their areas of expertise?

Right now there two of us — Nina and myself. Nina’s spent a decade in the restaurant industry. She not only understands the ins and outs of the restaurant business, but also understands the logistics and operations of a food distribution company. Nina’s business and restaurant expertise combined with my knowledge and insight into the vegan food scenes makes us a great team.

What is your business philosophy?

We are very much aligned with the mission of Vegans, Baby, to make it easier to be vegan. Vegans, Baby really focuses on the consumer, while Pure World focuses on restaurants and chefs. By tapping into both sides of the culinary landscape, we hope to continue making it easier to offer, be and find more vegan options in the city.

What is the best part about doing business in Las Vegas?

We are so grateful for the support we get from the restaurant community. Both Nina and I have deep ties to chefs in this city, and everyone is incredibly enthusiastic about our business. With such a supportive community, it is amazing to be able to partner with them and help their businesses by providing vegan products we believe in and know consumers are ready and looking for.

What challenges or obstacles do you face as a business owner?

We both have other businesses. For me, it’s a learning curve and I look to Nina and her experience and knowledge as I navigate this new territory. With any startup, the challenge is getting the word out and getting business moving. We’ve been very fortunate that we have roots in the food industry.

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

Find your niche and the rest will come. Be fearless.

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