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Delicious and carefree meals from home-chefs in tough times
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Friday, 05 February, 2021, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Neha
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The pandemic has certainly changed the way people across the world wine and dine. Before stepping out to eat there is a hitch in people’s minds and whether we like it or not, the hitch is here to stay. With a major shift away from restaurant dining, the food industry has explored a whole new dimension of dine-in experiences via ordering their food from home-chefs.
The new way of working, that is, from home (WFH) has put people back in their kitchens and the demand for new and inspiring recipes has thus spiraled Instagram feeds rife with Focaccia Gardens to Buddha Bowls to Monochromatic Styling have inspired many to get in touch with their creativity through the culinary arts and people seem to have found solace in home food. This generated a wave of home-chefs, who were constantly creating and showcasing their fabulous food to their viewers and followers on various social media platforms. The viewers enjoyed the cooking vicariously and became a trusted market for homemade fine dining but at home.
Home-chefs always existed but have garnered much attention during the last year. The growth of this industry has been driven by a myriad of interrelated factors. The first factor was the sudden lockdown. Countless people were stuck away from home when it was announced. They longed for family and the comfort that homemade food brings. So when these people got the opportunity to eat the food prepared by home-chefs, it was a moment of joy.
People learned about the home-chefs’ life stories through vibrant pictures of food, fun and informative videos, creative Reels and TikToks and were able to put their trust in the food prepared by them. These media also made the viewers crave the exquisite food that spoke to them.
Curated experiences presented right at our doorstep was another factor. Curated meals give an edge to home-chefs in the food and beverage industry. They invest a lot of time and effort to dish out interesting, appetising and often quirky food and are eager, willing and happy to experiment and innovate. From classic European dishes to unheard-of Indian cuisines, from fusion to traditional – home-chefs have been cooking it all.
Many of them have been inspired by their travels to other countries or states. They bring back local recipes, adapt and improve them and then share them on social media and/or sell them. Unlike restaurants, they are not bound to mass-produce food. This allows them to deliver food that is authentic, full of character and tastes of experience and adventure.
The personal touch of home-chefs made these meals even more appealing - a handwritten note, or specially curated packaging. To make Diwali 2020 extra special, we delivered all the Diwali paraphernalia to our customers so that they wouldn’t have to step out and shop. Our customers indulged in an exclusive festive hamper that included everything that they needed on Diwali to celebrate with their loved ones - Poojan Samagri including Dia and Torans, Ganesh-Laxmi idol, silver coin, sweets and a specially curated meal for 4 - everything packed brightly in our Diwali-in-a-Box.
This helped spread some joy and cheer during an otherwise grim period. Home Chefs don’t merely make ‘Ghar ka Khana' - they make ‘Ghar pe bana hua khana' and that has made a whole lot of difference to the end customer. Our customers have paid Rs 200-300 as delivery charges as they love the curations we do with our home-chefs and many of them order all the meals listed for the weekend. The experimental cuisines and the gourmet essence of the experiences have made the home-chef game stronger.
Many people lost their jobs during this pandemic, including but not limited to those who worked within the restaurant industry. They started their home kitchens to support themselves. We can count at least 20 of our home-chefs who started their home kitchens because they lost their jobs and needed cash flow to support themselves. When we saw such stories on Instagram, our hearts felt heavy and these home-chefs found their loyal customers in us.
As a customer, when you know you’ve made a difference in their lives by ordering in, the satisfaction is immensely rewarding. 2020 was a year of kindness. After having lost two jobs in Europe due to the pandemic and his life in Paris, Chef Ankur from TotalllyBaked found a way forward in the baking industry and has now amassed a large fan following. His Danishes, Palmiers and Cinnamon Rolls are incredibly flavoursome and keep our customers coming back for more.
So what we have with these wonderful Homechefs is not just food, but a marvellous experience delivered to your doorstep. This trend is here to stay and will coexist with restaurant dining. “I’d prefer having an experiential meal at home with my friends, it’s intimate and it’s fun,” says one of our patrons. We curate different menus every week with the home-chefs and work very closely with them. The whole process, right from the ideation of the menu to tasting to the final delivery day is a journey in itself. And when this journey finally ends with the consumer appreciating food and feeling connected to the home-chef, our belief only elevates.
The pandemic has brought in this twist and shift and food delivery now holds a more powerful position in people’s minds than ever before. Home-chefs are providing everything and more than what a restaurant can. And these homechefs aka food heroes as we like to call them, have helped everyone survive these tough times with something special from their kitchens.
(The author is co-founder at Conosh)
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