KOCHI: “Kochi is a great market to experiment. Until now, I think nothing of this sort has been started here yet,” says Sareeka John, co-founder of Guestronomy, a culinary initiative that was held in Kochi for the first time. The venture by Payal Bafna and Sareeka’s stirred Kochi’s culinary circle last November and the duo is all set for their next.
Guestronomy curates your culinary experiences by collaborating with hotels and travelling restaurants to set up scrumptious pop-ups. As per Guestronomy, customers are made to feel as though they’re entering a house, and not a hotel. This translates to hospitality, with a personal touch.
Their first, a seven-course Mangalorean oota, helmed by chef Shriya Shetty at Xandari Harbour, Fort Kochi, was a resounding success. Onto their next with a 12-course tasting menu, ‘Spice Routes’ under the reins of Bengaluru-based ‘Lore’ by Michelin-star chefs, at Le Meridien from Thursday to Sunday, Guestronomy hopes to make Kochi a delectable world for food enthusiasts and restaurateurs.
While restaurant pop-ups began entering the scene in India by 2018, they were yet to make an appearance in the state. Simultaneously, the palate began shifting. “People began looking for something light and flavourful with spices, rather than heavy food laden with richness. There was a gap that existed between what the customer wants and what the chef thinks the customer wants. Also, we had observed that there was an opportunity to thread different vendors in a hotel, so that each person’s effort is not diluted and brought together thereby creating a bigger impact. Challenges paved the way to opportunities,” says Sareeka, who had started as a culinary curator at Xandari House. This led them to foray into verticals, including doing an audit of the hotel as per the guests’ perspective, curate restaurant menu and dining service, training staff and organising pop-ups every two months.
“Guestronomy personalises the experience. Crockery and ambience will no longer suffice. For our first event, we called all our guests and tapped into their allergies and preferences to source ingredients and curate accordingly. These are pre-booked events with limited seating, and reminder calls are sent two hours before the event. It is like a movie show; if you miss the first few minutes, it’s going to start without you. Also, we make conversations and see that guests have conversation starters,” quips Sareeka.
And unlike guest experience ventures across the country, Sareeka and Payal had zero difficulties in collaborating with chefs for pop-ups. “Various chefs from different parts of India have been contacting us. It is very encouraging. The whole market in the city is opening up. For chefs, this is something worth tapping into, it is a convenient platform for them to launch themselves. Also, we’ve got customers coming from Coimbatore for the pop-ups. Everyone in the city is looking for something new to do. The entire experience also feeds people who might want to polish their restaurant and food styling skills,” adds Sareeka.