Home chefs in demand, this Raksha Bandhan
Reliability, great taste and personal connect are among the many factors working in favour of home chefs and bakers. Is this surge in demand on Raksha Bandhan courtesy the pandemic?
Home chef Jassmin Naru, whose menu includes Chole Bhature, Amritsari Kulche, etc, says people want a change in flavour. “But people aren’t preferring ordering from restaurants, as they are still unsure about hygiene and other issues. Those who want to order from outside feel since home chefs cook in their own kitchens, we must be taking precautions,” she adds.
Delhi-based Kishneet Sethi echoes a similar view. “People want to eat delicious food, but are obviously scared to go to a bakery. Here, they know it’s from a home. Since everyone is away from friends and family, we’re delivering a lot of dishes on rakhi from their side to their loved ones,” says the home baker, who even has orders from abroad.
“People have started giving more value to home bakers and chefs,” feels Priyanka Puri, a home chef who is whipping up chocolate cupcakes with chocolate toppers and rakhi messages such as ‘No. 1 Bro’, ‘No.1 Sis’, mini cheesecakes with rakhi toppers, etc.
Gurugram-based Shradha Saraf, a home chef offering vegetarian delicacies such as Dal Baati Churma, Gatte ki Sabzi and Dahi Bhalla, says with celebrations turning lowkey this year, orders have gone up. She adds, “People are keeping rakhi a private affair and ordering food for themselves and their families.”
Not just food, “rakhi special hampers” are a hit, too. Charu Dabra, another Gurugrambased home chef, says, “I have been doing a lot of rakhi hampers, which include body butters and a sweet. I make laddoos with dates and seeds.”