Viara Store is already known on POI as the one stop solution for daily essentials, an array of healthy, local and unadulterated products with a reasonable price tag, making it easier for anyone willing to make a switch to sustainable healthy lifestyle.

As a consumer, it’s always fascinating to listen to some amazing people behind the brands, their struggling-learning-evolving journey, shaping of the business and so on. It’s such a privilege for me to talk to one such entrepreneur Mr. Pradeep Chandrababu, the face behind Viara Store, who decided to go out of the way, refusing lucrative offers of more margins, sticking to the core values he believes in with the motto of making organic products easily available and affordable to more and more people.

“A good education is a foundation for a better future”

Mr. Pradeep completed his engineering in Electronics and Telecommunications, diploma in Import Export Management and Masters in International business. Post education he worked in U.A.E and Ukraine for distributors of Emami. Started with head of marketing to the level of Assistant Director- International Operations. Then returned to India and worked with a Japanese company dealing in Exports and Imports of machines. Though he always dreamt to be a business person since his school days. “I used to write this in my diary, I always wanted to do something on my own. Job was always let down for my creativity. I wanted to do things differently, systematically but as an organisation having a set of protocols, with certain hierarchy, nothing different was much appreciated”, he recalled early days.

Uncovering true calling
In 2009 he started his company ‘Bridges and Bonds’ alongside the job, with focus on Export of agri commodities. Due to the recession, the original plan didn’t work and he started struggling and hustling on his own, finding how export, finances, documentation, banking works. He started with various products and zeroed down to Basmati rice which has good buyers, in turn good pay, something which he could settle onto. Later he left the job and took export of Basmati rice to Sweden and Middle East and for many years, he continued to deal in the same as a trader.

And the foundation stone laid
In 2019, Mr. Pradeep started supplying premium long grain Basmati rice to wholesalers, restaurants, hotels. But in just a year, in 2020, lockdown happened and everything was shut down. He made his way out of this, grabbed the opportunity to approach directly to the customers and that’s how it began!

Journey from a single product to diverse portfolio
He got ready to set forward with the same core product ‘Basmati Rice’. There was just a very tiny constrained warehouse with limited stock capacity to start with. He started delivering rice directly to end users and through word of mouth the client base expanded very well.

Then people started suggesting to keep few more products like wheat as there used to be long queues for groceries and online delivery was a still thing of luck with those limited daily slots. So customers were very happy with the service, good quality basic groceries getting delivered at home, that too at affordable prices -what more you need! For example- Basmati rice generally available in shops at Rs110-120 per kg is sold for Rs80/kg, it’s still most sold and popular product of them.

His father suggested to add unpolished daals in the store as he tried one variety directly sourced from the farmers and found huge difference in taste compared to polished ones.

Then soon after wheat got introduced, people started asking for flour instead of wheat. Mr Pradeep suggested to customers if can freshly grind wheat in neighborhood flour mills after order is placed and people happily agreed to try it out. He just kept just 2 best varieties of ground aata- Sihore sharbati for Phulka and Lokwan wheat for Chapati.

Then he learnt about one of his friend manufacturing cow ghee using a traditional method at his farm in Satara. Even at the discounted price, this ghee was expensive than a few other popular brands so people initially hesitated but once they tried it, they became regular buyer of this product due to it’s quality and distinctive taste as it’s made in iron vessel on traditional firewood Chulah.

Also a healthy food eating habit became quintessential especially during the pandemic. People were willing to switch from sugar to chemical free jaggery, though the main challenge with the usual 1 kg cone was- it’s difficult to break and consistency isn’t idle to be used in drinks or tea. Hence they came up with jaggery granules and jaggery powder m as a solution. Similarly Khandsari Sugar got added in the products list a great alternative to get more minerals and nutrients in the diet and lesser chemicals and bleach. These few are some of their pilot products.

Good friends came forward to help lay the roots
In early days, prior orders were taken and accepted on WhatsApp, marking down on a paper sorted by society name, announcing a fixed delivery day. Then one of Pradeep’s friends helped him out with a google form, on which they listed mentioned pilot products. And several other friends helped out with packaging, delivery, spreading the word, getting the orders, IT etc

Time to choose a great brand name!
“And then I thought, why not give this platform name, why not create a range of products different from usual retailers which is chemical free, adulteration free, good for your health. Only few people are able to afford organic products in the daily routine. So I tried to come with a way to meet both the ends. Our brand name “Viara” meaning “Faith” is what we have earned from our clients through our products and services” Pradeep proudly explained.

Our grandparents were healthy with a good life span; without any lifestyle diseases- all because of the ancestors wisdom of keeping traditional food techniques and unadulterated food ingredients incorporated in daily routine. So with a motto to bring back the way of food our grandparents had, the tagline was marked ‘Bringing back our Grandparents Foodstyle’

Soon with continuous product additions, they moved from ‘Viara’ brand name to ‘Viara Store’ as those products covered almost everything daily kitchen needs under one umbrella. With that change, they upgraded from google form to basic website.

Organic products at affordable prices
“When we started with the healthy range of groceries, most of the people were asking us for organic products so it became inevitable to me to include organic products into our portfolio and that’s how I started exploring more about it. The certification for organic products costs around 1-1.25lakhs and there are regular audits too with certain fees to be paid each time. That certification cost is generally added into costing of the product and thus taken from customer’s pocket. So I decided and found out the way to provide organic products without pinching customer’s pocket.” Mr. Pradeep elucidated. He sourced products from pesticide free and chemical free farm which in turn is a definition of organic product but listed it on website under ‘pesticide free’ category, thus without adding a burden of other costs.

Unique product offerings
Mr Pradeep elaborated more about unique product offerings. “We are planning and always like to keep experimenting and trying out new things so there will be lot of new additions to the store like we have black rice from Assam which is very unique and we will keep getting more such products. Also cold pressed cooking and speciality salad oils range like flaxseed oil, sweet almond oil, walnut oil, apricot oil, moringa seed oil, karanj oil are very unique and not easily available in the Pune market.”

Challenges
The biggest challenge they faced since the start is logistics. There are several customers who expect delivery on the same day. Pune itself is a big market and as a startup with very limited resources, it is really challenging. The team is trying to expand gradually and slowly and trying to deliver faster. In the current scenario, where major concentration of their clients is in Viman nagar, Kalyani Nagar, Baner, Balewadi, Wakad etc- they deliver within the day and for the rest of areas delivery is done next day or a day after max.

Future plans
Also the next plan is to deliver pan India without hampering affordability of the products as major retailers charge hefty commissions to use the platform. Once the team sorts this current challenge with regards to shipping, repackaging, logistics cost, the plan is to grow and make these products reachable all over India.

On closing note Mr.Pradeep adds, “The journey till date of Viara store has been very diverse, indulging and exhaustive. We helped lot of community kitchens and charities and received appreciation for that as well. But apart from that, the connection we have with our clients, customers and brand which we have created is what matters the most!”

PEOple, do try their unadulterated Millets, unpolished Pulses, Flour, Cold Press Oils, Ghee, Spices and more. https://puneorders.in/peo/viarastore/

PEOple Story by Sayali Yevale-Raundal

#PEOpleStories
#HumansOfPEO

A new-age Idli joint, inspired by the streets & households of South-India.

As a fellow foodie and a customer, I have always enjoyed relishing the food and enjoying the experiences created by our very own skilled craftsman/woman and entrepreneurs based here in Pune.

These are extraordinary people who have given our city, a unique food identity of its own. And so it is always a privilege for me to talk about these trailblazers and pen to life the beautiful stories their start, pain, struggle, hard work, frustrations and ultimately success – the tip of the iceberg we all see.

Isn’t it fascinating to know how the food you love began its journey? How it all came to be?

Here is one such story of a young entrepreneur who introduced Punekars a different way of enjoying the staple South Indian Idlis. Unlike our southern counterparts, we’re used to enjoying Idlis with regular sambhar, variety of chutneys and podi or gunpowder with ghee etc.

But with his venture We Idiliwale, Abhishek Joshi introduced the city to a southern style of enjoying Idlis with Chicken curry made in Kundapur Style, which has attracted quite a following since it began and made us see humble Idli in a tasty new way.

Apart from serving the Idlis with Chicken curry, they also have the classic portions with Sambhar, three varieties of chutneys which one can enjoy. They also do Dindigul Biryani, Chicken Ghee Roast, Andhra Style Chilli Chicken, Prawns Ghee Roast and Japanese inspired Curry buns stuffed with Kadle Pudi (channa mix) & caramelised onions or Chicken Ghee roast as part of their extended menu.

Abhishek completed his MBA from Singapore and worked with his father in Goa for five years in Real estate, before quitting and leaving for London to study bartending. After returning, he did some private gigs as a guest bartender in Goa for about a year. Later on, he joined the International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICC) in Dubai to train as a Chef.

After completing his studies, Abhishek got an opportunity to work at Folly in Dubai as a Commis Chef under Nick Alvis and Scott Price who are known for working with Gordon Ramsay. Abhishek was part of the preopening team of Folly at Dubai and worked there for a year.

Hoping to do something in Indian food, especially the regional cuisines, He returned to Mumbai and joined as a trainee Sous Chef under Chef Thomas Zacharias of Bombay Canteen. While at Bombay Canteen, Abhishek felt the desire to step up and instead of just working under the shadow of these prominent chefs, he wanted to do something of his own.

With this in mind, he started to look out for a place to start a restaurant, and that’s how, through a friend, he landed up in Pune. Abhishek reminisces, how they stumbled upon this small place, with no product in mind, but just a thought that he wanted to do something homely and something very Indian, something that is quick, familiar to most of us yet very comforting.

Having had no investor back up or any monetary support from his family and facing countless rejections by Investors, it took Abhishek almost year and a half to just get started and open up his place.

It was one of the most challenging times I have had to endure, He says, When you meet so many people and get refused so often, it tends to be very frustrating despite having the skills and ability. But he was determined to continue on his path of realising his long-cherished dream. And where there is a will, there is always a way.

When Abhishek’s childhood friend, Chirag Jadhav, heard of this concept, he spared no thought and decided to bring his friend’s vision to life. Chirag, a third-generation entrepreneur, has always been passionate about food.

Having a stone cladding manufacturing unit and managing some of the most prestigious heritage restoration projects under his belt, Chirag also ventured into the hospitality industry with a multi-cuisine restaurant and bar based in Pune. Chirag is the mind behind the business operations of We Idliwale, credited for shaping up the business to what it has grown to become whereas Abhishek is the creative mind behind the Kitchen with his rustic menu offerings.

The origin of the food served at We Idiliwale lie in the childhood experiences of Abhishek and his memories of cherishing the home-style food at his Attya’s (Father’s sister) place who was married off to a Kundapur family. Being a south Indian family, having Idli with Chicken Curry was one of the Sunday family rituals that Abhishek grew up with.

When he started, he was surprised to know how very few people were aware of such a tasty and delicious combination of Idli with Chicken curry here in Pune.

Having Idli with a non-vegetarian curry is prevalent in South Indian households and readily available across every nook and corner as filling street food across Southern India.

In essence, it is not an experiment or a fusion dish that we may like to think of, somewhat a staple and very much a family and home-style comfort food enjoyed by many.In the beginning, the customers used to trickle in and word yet to spread out. But when a food experience post on Pune Eat Outs made people on the forum notice his place. They started selling out as early as noon every day as more and more people started visiting them and word of mouth spread – Pune responded amazingly well to this regional delicacy.

And during one such sell-out days, his family paid a visit to his restaurant to try his food, almost after a month since it was opened. Witnessing first-hand the reaction of people enjoying and accepting the food that they had grown up eating their entire life made all of them feel very proud and incredibly proud of their son Abhishek.

For Abhishek, this was the sweet payback for all the hard work and efforts he put in, and he couldn’t have been in any happier place than this. Then COVID-19 and the lockdown struck, it tested the best of us, and many of us are still reeling from its after-effects. The food and hospitality industry was amongst the hardest hit.

Post lockdown he anticipated whether it would be a good time to open, with bleak business and people afraid of ordering from outside or eating out. He didn’t know how people will respond.Fortunately for him, they responded well to his post COVID-19 brand building exercise and the safety protocols he had put in place, leading to a rush of orders higher than ever before.

The appreciation and the scale of support from his regular patrons in these disturbing times have been overwhelming and has kept him going stronger than ever.

This year, having sold more than 10,000 plates of Idlis with Chicken curry, despite facing hardships due to COVID-19. Abhishek and his team have come a long way in giving us a comfort street food with the same quality, hygiene, and discipline of a fine dining restaurant that he learned under Chefs’ tutelage at Folly and the Bombay Canteen.

An avid lover of books, music and chilled beer as he unwinds and looks upon a New year full of promising outcomes and renewed hopes. He warmly welcomes all of you to make this humble Idli great again!

Inspired to try Chicken curry with Idlis now, click on this link https://tinyurl.com/rexhykzk and order from We Idiliwale anywhere across Pune.

#PEOple Story by Jomy Thomas Nangani

‘Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway’ -Earl Nightingale

Fatema Hussain Mandviwala, the amazing woman behind AF desserts, turned her long-standing dream of dessert delivery business into reality last year. Born and brought up in Kuwait and shifted to India post marriage, no wonder you spot Shawarma and Baklava in the menu! She always loved to cook, the art she learnt from her mom and grandparents.

She completed her graduation in Business Management. However her culinary passion grew over the years and though not trained in formal culinary school, all that fervour was a prime driving force behind the idea of starting her own venture. Not sure of where and what to start with, the formation of the idea began all the way back in 2013 but then life happened. She adds- “We were blessed with a baby girl which kind of put the whole idea onto hold and then it kept getting delayed as I wanted to start my own restaurant back then”. In 2018, after welcoming another bundle of joy in the world she thought it as a good time to push long-awaited goal further up in the priority list and time to get into action. Chasing your dream isn’t easy, especially being a mom to young kids but not impossible! She discussed the idea with her husband and chalked out the detailed plan in November 2019. “I always wanted to start something on my own and AF Desserts is a dream project for me. I thought that I should start this so people can get great desserts at their doorstep. As it was always supposed to be a delivery/pickup counter I made sure it was easily deliverable in jars form. I always loved layered desserts”, Fatema enthusiastically continued. The following month was all about finalising menu, trials, product photoshoots-all done by herself! And in Jan 2020 AF desserts kicked off it’s operations from home.

Talking about challenges, she shared something about marketing strategy. Whenever received any enquiries from people about her products, they were asked to try the dessert samples and provide her the feedback/suggestions in return. And she believed that’s how her family grew over time. “By Jan 2020 I started giving free samples to restaurants as I thought they would be able to sell better than a direct buyer. But by the end of that month, I realised that I sold desserts worth 20K and had already given 25K worth of free samples which didn’t seem to be fruitful and then fortunately for me came the lockdown when I took a step back from the thought of supply.” Fatema responded candidly recalling her early days struggles. She further shared that she is grateful to her friend Zainab Poonawala who gave her first order in the lockdown and the review that Fatema received from her helped her gain the confidence to sell it directly to the people. And then there was no looking back, Fatema kept introducing new jars every month and today she even makes snacks for many clients.

When asked about future plans, this enthusiastic woman entrepreneur spilled the beans-from starting a kitchen outside home by 2022 to starting a Desserts Cafe by 2023 and aiming to supply her speciality Baklavas (which she delivers pan India) upto 500kgs by the end of this year. In the immediate future she plans to get branding completed, wishes to do plenty exhibitions and plans to take the storm by collaborating with a known brand which is in talks.

As a finishing note she adds, she wouldn’t have been here without her husband’s support. “I am thankful to God and blessings of my parents, in laws, family, friends and most importantly love and support from people who trusted and ordered from me. I have always tried to better myself in terms of taste and quality. Most of my products are sugarfree and healthy. I also aim to supply these desserts all across Pune to restaurants as well.”

Product offerings-
How do you settle your sweet cravings? Love classic desserts as Jalebi, Gajar ka Halwa or Gulab Jamun Rabdi after desi khana? Or do you fancy something fancy, for instance dark chocolate mousse, red velvet, cheesecake jar or tiramisu jars for that perfect finish to a great meal? Or get enticed with an idea of nutty gorgeous baklavas or cheesy Kunafeh drenched in sugar syrup from the world of Middle Eastern Desserts? AF desserts is one stop destination to indulge your sweet tooth!

Do you know ‘stressed’ spelled backwards is ‘desserts’! Also do check their snacks and around the world section. You can place your order here and don’t forget to collect a free goodie with your order! https://puneorders.in/peo/afdesserts/

#PEOpleStory by Sayali Yevale-Raundal

#WorldTapari The Street Park, Baner Road, Pune

Why does street food taste so good everywhere? Because it is usually made by people who have harnessed the art of creating happy customers through their food at the grassroot levels.

Street food all over the world is affordable and super tasty. But every street food vendor has his or her own story to tell. The struggle is different at different levels in the society. Usually, a cook wants his food to climb up the gastronomic ladder, evolving through different cuisines and reaching up to the fine dine level. But exceptions prove the rule and to prove the rule, we have a brilliant exception of Mr. Bhushan Ganorkar, who decided to go the other way and bring world street food back to the “streets” with his venture World Tapari.

Everything begins at home –
A 100 sq.ft. home also acting as a home-style dining hall in Sadashiv Peth back is where it all started. Bhushan was in his primary school when he automatically became a part of this culinary mission. It was not long that he started going independently to the wholesale vegetable market a.k.a. Mandai to get supplies for his family business when he was in his 4th grade of school. And as he grew older, he started getting involved in the cooking process too. All these factors began carving out a path for him for his future and it was no surprise that Bhushan had made up his mind to become a chef, even though he missed the SSC exam merit list by just 1 mark.

He started his professional culinary training in 2002 after junior college. Initially, he did a vocational course in cookery and then moved on to proper hotel management courses. After graduating from the catering college in Pune, he began treading on his career path by securing a job in a hotel through campus interviews. His career journey includes milestones of working in major hotel chains such as Oberoi, JW Marriott etc. and being head chef of a popular Pune pan-Asian restaurant as well as the head of a cloud kitchen with a staff of 450 under his command. He has also worked overseas to get ample international exposure in the field of culinary arts.

But all this while, he had this thought of entrepreneurship at the back of his mind and as the popular saying goes – there is a time and place for everything. So he waited at the right time to step out of the “employee” world to become his own boss. His biggest advantage was his solid professional background – be it to boldly step into his own business world or to go back to the employee status. His ample experience was enough to encourage and/or support him either ways.

Slow and steady wins the race –
One thing Bhushan had etched in his mind – start slow, start small and sustain in the long run. To get to know the tricks of the trade, he went through the ‘mandatory’ process of working in various hotels and gather valuable experience along the way. These experiences included both – the culinary types as well as the management side which made him a complete hotel person in the long run. Confidence on one hand and courage on the other, Bhushan knew he was ready to conquer the world with his ‘tapari’.

Throughout our conversation, he talked enthusiastically about his vision, future plans for World Tapari and how he wants to share his knowledge with people who aspire to make their mark in the hospitality industry.

Bhushan’s day starts early in the morning. While his wife Priya gets ready for her work day ahead in the banking sector, Bhushan goes about performing his duties of a loving father to a 4 year old daughter prepping her for day care etc. Once this is done, he changes his role to that of an entrepreneur and goes about his consultation meetings till about afternoon where he, like Superman, dons the food superhero/chef apron in a jiffy and begins his mission at World Tapari. And Priya makes her contribution to World Tapari – The delectable desserts – Dark Chocolate Mousse and Tiramisu that you will see at World Tapari are made by her.

Meticulously planned work schedules between the husband and wife while performing parental duties efficiently ensures the work-life balance in the family. Bhushan and Priya have got the knack of this balance beautifully right which also contributes to perform better in their respective domestic and professional roles every day.

The way forward –
Bhushan explained to me his future plans and ideas in details. Like any ambitious entrepreneur, he has plans of expansion but as I said earlier, slow and steady is his mantra. As of now, Bhushan’s World Tapari serves a limited range of veg and non veg street food. I had the privilege of tasting the veg menu despite being a hard core non vegetarian and I must confess that I really liked what was offered to us. It was half portions of all the items from the veg section of the menu. And I got a good idea of what Bhushan has to offer to the world with his tapari. Anyone who loves and craves for global street food is bound to be a repeat customer at World Tapari.

So this is the story of a tapari – a World Tapari by Bhushan Ganorkar where delectable global street food is churned out by Bhushan and his team of chefs to satiate your taste buds. I have tasted the food myself – it is delicious, affordable and hygienic. I stress a tad bit more on hygienic because a ‘tapari’ is usually associated with some organic chaos around it. But you will be mighty impressed when you visit this World Tapari. The hygiene is at par with global standards too.

I wish Bhushan and his team grand success and hope to see such World Taparis sprouting in nooks and crannies of our city, giving more and more people to relish some delectable street food beyond wada pav and kacchhi dabeli. Go ahead guys, conquer the world, one tapari at a time!!

You can also get food from this tapari home by ordering through our beloved portal www.puneorders.in./peo/worldtapari/

#PEOpleStory by Amit Dharwadkar

There are people who wish for change. And then there are those who become the Change.

This is one such story, of a family who saw something that needed to change for themselves, changed it and are now enabling others to embrace the same.

Meet Team Arkshuddha – Lakadi Ghana Oils

MehaVi being a very particular housemaker, has always been conscious of what she buys and consumes in her kitchen. Being convinced about the benefits of cold pressed (Lakadi Ghana) oils, she shifted from processed oils to Lakadi Ghana oils. However, soon she came to know, that the Oil she was buying assuming it is a cold pressed oil (as claimed by the supplier), was not genuine. She started researching about the cold pressed oils, however, could not get a reliable supplier in the entire city.

Necessity drives change and when it comes to being 100% confident about something which is very important, like all our mothers would say,
“It’s better I do it myself.”.

Mehavi decided to start a Cold Pressed Oil Extraction Unit by herself. Sumit and Jay joined Mehavi, and team Arkshuddha got in action. On the foundation of very strong support from friends and family, the team Arkshuddha conceptualized the idea of a totally transparent Lakadi Ghana outlet, where customers can see the entire oil extraction process and vouch for the quality by themselves.

Team Arkshuddha took this mission to heart and founded their own Lakadi Ghana in 2020. Located in the heart of the city, near Alka Talkies Chowk. Arkshuddha finds pride in the quality and hygiene standards that it maintains. Arkshuddha boasts the fact that its unit is always completely accessible to anybody.

Being from a non-food background and the first generation to venture into it, Team Arkshuddha really has their priorities straight – quality with passion.

No chemicals are used in the processing of these Oils and are stored and sold in Glass Bottles only (as opposed to plastic to preserve maximum quality). At Arkshuddha, the oils get extracted using complete lakadi ghana and using the ancient Indian methodology of oil extraction.

While Arkshuddha does not plan to give out Franchises to maintain the utmost quality, they do have a unique ‘Residential Society Franchise’ model. Aspiring housewives, retired citizens who are active on social media platforms can join team Arkshuddha and become Residential Society Franchise. Complete support in terms of sales and marketing content is provided by Arkshuddha. This is a step taken to be easily accessible to the population, especially in uncertain times, along with providing a least-hassle option to eager partners.

As you know, I love asking this question to all entrepreneurs;

Which is your favourite Product by Arkshuddha?
Mehavi says with a chuckle, “That’s a difficult one as I like and use all of them. But if I must pick one, it must be the Coconut Oil. Not only have we received innumerable compliments from our customers about the same, but also the versatility of the Oil makes it a must for everyone – may it be for Cooking, Skin, Hair, etc.”

I totally agree, Coconut Oil something even I use daily. I am sure we all do, in Indian households.

What does the future hold for you? Any immediate new plans?
“We are new and are just finding our ground. But yes, Chemical free Jaggery is soon to be launched and we are very excited about it.”

Any memory throughout your journey you would like to share?
“The best memories we have are being able to bring a positive change in many lives. Also, we are glad that we were able to help in busting myths like ‘Oils are bad for you’. Refined and heavily processed oils could be considered bad as nutrients are lost in the process. Cold Pressed Oils contain vital fats and nutrients which are necessary in everyone’s diet.”

Is there any advice you would like to give others entering the Food Industry by your experience?
“Be passionate and be genuine. Quality products are the need of the hour.”

Arkshuddha delivers across Pune. Check out their offerings and place your orders here:
https://puneorders.in/peo/arkshuddha/

#PEOpleStory by Shrutika Raikar

The Fish Thali, Tukaram Paduka Chowk, FC Road Pune

#PEOpleStories
Mother is the necessity for invention. Yes you read that write and I did NOT right it wrong …..sorry you read that RIGHT and I did not WRITE it wrong.

But seriously, in this story of The Fish Thali, a mother is the hero and it is indeed a privilege for me to know her in person.

And the mother is Mrs. Rajashree Samel – the main driving force of The Fish Thali and whose son Hrishikesh and daughter-in-law Shibani, all together are the ones who steer this amazing food bandwagon to glory.

Going back in history just a little bit, Hrishi and Shibani or none of their family were in the restaurant business and these two were going about their dull jobs in the management domain. And one day, Hrishi said Enough is Enough. He quit his job and decided to venture into the food and catering domain. They started off with a small cafe in town and then slowly amplified their goals to opening up a bigger place. Hrishi also started his catering services in the form of canteen catering in major IT companies in Pune while managing his other eatery skillfully.

Hrishi’s father was a huge foodie, rather a super-huge foodie and was always very curious when food was being prepared, prompting his wife to add this or that in the dish being cooked. Basically, he was super eager to try out new dishes and eateries in all the different cities he stayed in India during his employment years before finally settling down in Chiplun. And from what Hrishi and Shibani described I would say that his wife, Rajashree Samel was not his better half but his amazing integral half, who stood by her husband like his shadow all along. Unfortunately, the father was diagnosed with cancer and he lost the battle after 3 years of putting up a huge fight. The loss was an irreparable one to the family but mostly left an enormous void in the life of Mrs. Rajashree Samel. She was not a social person at all and Hrishi and Shibani could see their mother was sinking in the sadness and something had to be done urgently to get her back to ‘life’.

It was a well-known fact to the entire family that Mrs Samel had learnt a lot of recipes and picked up clever tricks and tips all throughout her life, from various cities she stayed with her husband. So there was this perennial joke in the family that she should start a fish eatery putting her culinary skills to good use. One more striking fact of the mother is that she is excellent in her measures of ingredients to be put in her recipes. She knows the quantity of ingredients to be put in the recipes by hand, literally and that makes the recipe perfectly delicious. There is absolutely no alternative to this method in this world.

Initially, Hrishi and Shibani were both a bit apprehensive whether Mrs. Samel would be able to work in a commercial environment as there is quite a big difference in managing the home kitchen and a commercial one. But to their surprise, Mrs. Samel accepted the challenge confidently and that ignited the idea for their new restaurant.

Luckily, the Samels got a prime location on FC road for their new venture and upon much racking their brains about a name for it, they simply decided to name it The Fish Thali as they wanted to concentrate only on seafood and nothing else, no mutton, no chicken but just seafood. And the name rightfully portrays the same without any distraction.

Cooking apron on, Mrs Samel today has become a darling figure among the regular customers of The Fish Thali. She has trained the chefs well and when you eat at this restaurant, you will realise that these are absolutely and genuinely home recipes that you must have had either at your own place or at a relative’s or friend’s place. There is zero commercial factor in the recipe and it just gives you that level of satisfaction which is nothing short of divine.

I have eaten multiple times at the Fish Thali and trust me, the experience is nothing short of “maa ke haath ka pyaar-bharaa khaanaa”. Mrs Samel exudes warmth, love, passion, care for everything and it is a delight talking to her. She wholeheartedly comes out of the kitchen to talk to her customers and there is no absolutely no hiding of any trade secrets when it comes to explaining the recipes to them. She and also everyone else knows that no one can copy her magic, no matter how meticulously follow her recipes to the dot. The magic lies within the magician and not the recipe.

Moral of the story: There is no moral to the story. There is a portal to this story www.puneorders.in/peo/thefishthali where you can order this supremely delicious seafood and enjoy your meals to the satisfaction of your soul.

And in other fantastic news!! – Now you can also unleash the magician in you with The Fish Thali. TFT is now introducing DIY (Do It Yourself) Sea Food Kits for your cooking pleasure at home. Cleaned fish/prawns along with those amazing masalas and marination pastes from their kitchen and of course abundance of love from mother Mrs. Samel, will make your family meals very memorable. I am sure this is music to the ears who are huge, loyal fans of TFT and those who haven’t yet tried TFT, you are missing one of the best seafood in Pune, big time. So this is the right time to order!!

PEOple Story by Amit Dharwadkar

Started in 2005 by Mr Aniruddha Patil, ‘Pune Eat Outs‘ is a community most loved and trusted not only by the PEOple of Pune but by travellers and restaurants too.

An interactive platform for sharing experiences of food destinations as well as queries, updates about the latest events or newly launched restaurants and cafes in Pune, India and much more, the ever-enthusiastic 1.75 Lakh+ #PEOple have been contributing to the community.

With PEO connects, quarterly PEO meets, Chef’s tables, PEO Privilege Programme, ‘Pune Eat Outs’ has been rightly contributing to the food scenario in Pune over all these years.

The #PEOPrivilegeProgramme, or the #PEOCard, offers the best of privileges at restaurants and cafes- #Friendsof PEO as we call it, along with privileges at #ResortsonPEO, the most happening food fests in the city, as well as ordering cakes or seafood.

Along with a lot of love and respect, ‘Pune Eat Outs’ has received numerous awards over the years as well as media features and a Wikipedia page. Visit our website at https://puneeatouts.in/.

This is the age of #ThinkLocal, #EatLocal & #SupportLocal. With the pandemic bringing change in all aspects of the industry, we introduced a food delivery platform of the #PEOple, by the #PEOple, for the #PEOple- www.PunEOrders.In. With a No Commission & No Middlemen Policy and assistance with direct orders to the restaurants, we aim to support the city’s local businesses- local Eat Outs, home chefs, bakers, daily essential providers as well as delivery agencies.

Since we’re talking about food.. we Indians love ginger and if you’re up to make some ginger candies, we suggest you have a look at this fun & easy recipe here by Bella Cupcake Couture!

Bella Cupcake Couture is a one-stop hub for all your baking lovers. Recipes, hacks, baking essentials & everything you need for your baking sesh!

Time to turn those Sunny Afternoons into fun with Bella CupCake Couture!!

Here’s a Story of a young and passionate girl, Anushka Jaju who one sudden night thought of dropping CA and decided to pursue Hotel Management, to change her #Passion for baking into #Profession. Yes! I know that sounds strange but life is all about following our #Passion, right? She has always been a Baking & Cooking fan since her childhood and no doubt being passionate about the same made her take this decision!

Although it takes great courage to leave what you’re currently working on and start something new, completely from scratch, Anushka chose to take the risk! Her journey from dropping CA to becoming a Home- Baker must have been surely amazing and therefore we talked to her about the same and here’s what she shared about her experience with us!

She completed her graduation from IHM Jaipur in 2019 and was trained with a 5-star property in Pune and later decided to open up a venture named Couches…The Patisserie (Her Home-Based Baking Business).

When asked about the Challenges, Family Support and Inspiration she received, Anushka says, “With no base business, Starting from scratch wasn’t at all easy. The supply or raw material, purchase for machinery etc, this is when I came to know that I had to put in days & nights to make Couches! Fortunately, I never had to convince my family about this Venture as they are the ones who had supported me thoroughly & (still do). The venture that it is today I absolutely dedicate to my parents, sister & family!”

Being a Passionate Baker, Anushka likes to bake cakes and likes working especially on Buttercream cakes. She likes to keep her cake’s look- Simple, Sober and Elegant! Who doesn’t like Simplicity and after all, who doesn’t like cakes?

Couches offer both- Buttercream and FondantCakes based on their customer preferences and, of course, both are definitely worth trying! PEOples’ Favourite at Couches…The Patisserie is her Super-Duper-Hit Belgian Chocolate Cake, which is her best seller and PEOples’ other favourites include Rainbow cake, Red Velvet, Pineapple & Blueberry! Recently she has introduced ‘Whole Wheat Pizza’s’ which she says is another hit!

With such great talent and a great response for her cakes at such a young age, Anushka seeks to expand her Home-Baking Business by having an Outlet for Couches, by the end of next year!

Lastly, Anushka thanks Pune Eat Outs for providing her a platform from which she received a huge response and could grow her business so well!

She adds, “So much of gratitude & love to Pune Eat Outs! Not forgetting to mention the quick response of the team for any help required! Cannot thank you all enough!”

We wish Anushka, a Great Future and More Success for Couches…The Patisserie!

#OrderIn from https://puneorders.in/peo/couches/ for your cake cravings!

#PEOpleStory by Vanshika Ghag

One of the super-popular brand on POI, consistently sorting out dessert option for #PEOites’ auspicious occasions, festivals or even random sweet cravings with their classic, limited yet fantastic menu! Yes, Ruchita foods have been already creating buzz since it’s first day on PEO and surely deserves all of this and more recognition!

Ruta, a business management graduate in Finance and an avid foodie, co-founded Ruchita Foods with her parents. Let’s unfurl the story behind the brand and get to know wonderful people behind the venture!

Say hello to Ruta
Ruta is currently working full-time as a consultant in one of the top business consultant firms in Pune and also runs a food blog by the name of Pune Food Hunt on Instagram and Facebook. Apart from her professional work, she rescues, fosters and runs animal adoptions on an individual level.

First Thought
She belongs to a family full of people who love food, that being said, they all love exploring new cuisines, restaurants and thus, the gluttony runs in the genes! When she started her blog in 2017, she went on to discover many places run by enthusiastic and passionate people whose stories encouraged her to start something of her own.

Fuel for that thought
Her father is blessed with amazing cooking skills and their common liking for all kinds of sweets led them to start experimenting with the one thing they equally love – Shrikhanda! “His recipes have always been a hit in the family and we have been relishing his signature desserts – Shrikhanda and Baasundi for ages now; anyone who has tasted his creations has never gone back to their previous favourites – this I guarantee blindly!” Ruta cheered remembering old days.

The First Step and Turning Point
So it was in October 2019 when Ruta’s mother thought of signing up in a community exhibition with a mere thought of displaying her handmade soaps, her father decided to join in with Amrakhanda (Mango Shrikhanda) and with none to little expectations, there they were – on the stall with their products, urging people to just taste the Amrakhanda. Ruta proudly continued- “I kid you not, but not a single person who tasted it left without buying a pack from us! We had the same set of customers returning on Day two of the exhibition just to buy more and more Amrakhanda!” They were all overwhelmed and ecstatic by the response received and in just those two days they sold over 100kgs!

Finally taking that plunge!
After the exhibition in October, they slowly started playing around with the idea behind creating a bigger brand wherein they can cater to a larger audience in and around Pune City but later that idea got buried in their day-to-day routine since all of them had full-time careers to take care of.In April 2020, on the auspicious day of Ashadhi Ekadashi, Ruta and her father thought of creating a small advertisement on Facebook as an experiment to where they can take Ruchita Foods in the city and again, they had a wonderful response from people and since then, there has been no turning back!

Family Is The Best Team
It was just the beginning of Ruchita foods venture when the lockdown began and they had extremely limited resources in hand as to production, logistics and overall execution. Taking external help was absolutely out of question as they did not want any outsider entering their premises especially when the cases were surging. Fortunately, they had an extra space which was sanitized, cleaned and that basic setup was done. Ruta’s father single-handedly took up production, he worked tirelessly for day and night during the peak season of festivities, her mother handled packaging and Ruta took care of the delivery. #bestteamwork

“It was a nightmare to go through but reading and listening to feedbacks of customers made it all so worth it! Few of them also shared pictures and videos of their children enjoying Shrikhanda which gives us so much joy and motivates us to keep going!” Ruta gleefully added.
In just 8 months time this small home-grown brand reached to the masses and already Punekar’s one of the favourite local brand even when the market is ruled by some big legacy brands. It’s all the result of consistency in delivering the best to people. Just search on PEO and you will get to know what I mean!
Ruchita Foods is live on PuneOrders.in

• Available in 8 flavours including some unique flavours like Gulkand Shrikhand, Strawberry Shrikhand , Fruitkhand etc
• Homemade with fresh ingredients like real Alphanso pulp from Ratnagiri, Strawberries from Mahabaleshwar!
• No preservatives, no artificial flavours
• Home delivery available all over Pune

https://puneorders.in/peo/ruchitafoods/

PEOple Story by Sayali Yevale-Raundal

“𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑, 𝑡𝑒𝑎 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢;
𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢;
𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑, 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢;
𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢.”

How true these lines are! Chai for us isn’t just a drink, it’s an emotion, a ritual, an indispensable part of our daily life.
So here’s the story of a Chai Enthusiast, a face behind the brand ‘चाय𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚’ – Mr. Vaibhav Paliwal.

His love to travel and connect to people, also as an MBA grad in Marketing, frequent opportunities of work trips across the country while working in the field of branding, advertising, strategic planning lead him to the many places. During those 9 years, he covered all the states of India- stayed in villages, small towns, metro cities, met different people and relished regional food. All these experiences ignited a very novel and exotic idea! He started an online store some 7 years back selling regional speciality products. To name a few- Kashmiri Kesar, Assam Tea, Kerala Snacks and Spices etc.

As the core of the initiative was to deliver the experience of regional specialities and connect people, he thought why to restrict it to only as an online store? It pushed the idea to another brilliant format and he started an experience centre as a tea room and community space named Nukkad Cafe at Viman Nagar in 2015- a place to connect people over a cup of chai, arts, poetry, music and anything that helps you to explore creativity! People liked this interesting concept. Now one thing that’s common and USP of his both the ventures is Tea/Chai. People loved their special masala chai, which is a blend of Assam Chaipatti and various Indian spices and other tea blends which were served at the cafe and soon he started selling chaipatti in retail packs.

The Pandemic situation has affected almost everyone and businesses as well. As movement is still limited, it doesn’t mean we cannot relish a good cup of chai. And especially in these times, a good cup of chai refreshes our mood and rejuvenates us. Seeing this as an opportunity, Vaibhav decided to expand his already running business under the brand name ‘चाय𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚’!

If there’s one thing that Indians love unanimously, it is Chai, transcending all boundaries! Chai is all-pervasive, be it a moment of celebration or making way through difficult times. While most of us are still working remotely from our homes, I am sure you must be missing customary visits to your ‘adda’ or ‘tapri ki chai’’ but still must be having at least a cup or two more than earlier while staying at homes.

So here is ‘चाय𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚’ bringing you the best of Tea Experiences, curated for your palate and at your home. As their Tagline says-
𝘿𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙞..𝘿𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨.𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚-𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚!

You can get their special masala tea blend for a quick nice cup or there’s CTC tea sourced from tea estates in Assam. For those who love delicate, soothing, fragrant blends, Rose Chamomile and Lavender Hibiscus with lemon, known for their antioxidants properties and other health benefits, are also available. Do give it a try, before you fix yourself a steaming hot cup of tea next time.

Avail POI exclusive offer of 25% flat off here-https://puneorders.in/peo/chaysutra/