CHENNAI: The LPG crisis has upset the apple cart of the caterers and wedding halls in Chennai, with many struggling to secure even adequate supplies to manage the upcoming events. The supply crunch has forced many a caterer to make last-minute changes such as switching to firewood to avoid disruption of confirmed bookings.
If the shortage persists, it could lead to weddings and other functions being postponed, scaled down, or, in extreme cases, cancelled, they fear. Dhanwyn of West Mambalam, who runs Jayendra Wedding Caterers, said he has cancelled his bookings from Sunday to March 28 as his stock of cylinders will not last beyond this weekend. “I’m yet to find a solution to come out of this problem,” he says.
When asked about switching to firewood, he said his cooking team does not have the experience in using firewood and that switching to it is not possible, as he operates with a centralised kitchen where cooking gas is connected to each stove through pipelines.
“With wedding halls too not able to provide the cylinders, I have no option but to shut down my kitchen,” he points out. However, some caterers and wedding hall managers said the situation is manageable as of now with their current stock for the upcoming muhurthams on March 15 and 16. Speaking to TNIE, the manager of Lakshmi Hall in Ashok Nagar says, “I have enough stock that will last for one more week. After that I don’t know how I will provide cylinders to the caterers.”
According to some caterers, firewood cooking currently remains the only practical alternative to cancelling or postponing events. Yuvaraj, the proprietor of Yuvaraj Catering Services in Perambur, says, “We are not postponing or cancelling any event as of now. We are planning to switch to firewood cooking in a couple of days. We are also changing our menu by taking off dishes such as dosas and chapatis which require more cooking time.”
Prithvi (name changed) of Nesapakkam, whose engagement is scheduled for next week, said the wedding hall management and caterer have assured him the ceremony will be conducted without any issues. “We have invited hundreds of people and made necessary arrangements for the function. It will be a disaster if we reschedule it,” he says keeping his fingers crossed.