No takers for chicken dishes
Fears of avian influenza, bird flu contributing to decline
Fears of avian influenza amid a rise in bird flu cases across the country seems to have had a direct bearing on consumption of chicken dishes in the city. It has been to such an extent that there has been a dip in demand for dishes made from chicken, not just in restaurants and take-away food joints but also at social gatherings like weddings.
Adding to the apprehensions are messages on social media platforms that consuming chicken at a time when bird flu cases are being found in the country may not be the best of ideas. It is learnt that such information is being shared by mutton and beef sellers.
Hoteliers are worried that this trend would adversely impact their business. At eateries that serve non-vegetarian dishes, the bulk of business comes from chicken dishes accounting for 70 per cent of the volume. A direct off-shoot of this fear is that, of late, customers have desisted from ordering chicken items.
Shahreyar of Hotel Shadab said there is a 50 per cent decline in sale of chicken biryani and other chicken dishes. He said, as it is, people are avoiding hotels due to coronavirus. Now, news of bird flu is adding to their worries.
He said that unlike chicken dishes that can be offered in myriad varieties, the options are limited when it comes to making mutton dishes. Moreover, the price of meat is four times that of a broiler.
Taha Quadri of Professional Caterers said it is observed that people have been avoiding chicken dishes in dinners. Earlier guests equally preferred chicken and meat dishes. To save on costs, hosts used to serve four dishes of chicken and one or two mutton dishes, including biryani. Now guests are showing no interest in chicken dishes thereby increasing the demand for meat items.
He said “from 600 gms of chicken, we make four dishes and it costs us around `60, while `75 is required for 100 gms of mutton. With that quantity, we can make only one dish. Even if we serve four different dishes made from chicken, guests are hardly consuming 50 per cent of them. Instead they are preferring biryani or marag.”