The 1990s was a beautiful time in London.
The recession of the 1980s was coming to an end and hunger for success was everywhere. I chose this period to start my little food business on Stoke Newington’s Church Street, in north-east London. Despite cautious words from friends and market gurus, I decided this was my time.
I don’t know whether it was my passion for food or the goddess of luck being kind, the concept worked and a brand was born. I combined my desire to implant a business with my aspiration for establishing a new way of enjoying Indian food in Britain, beyond Chicken Tikka Masala and Cobra Beer. As I got closer to my mission, I met many. I saw the hunger in their eyes as much as in their tummies. I heard voices of a new community and the inevitable change in the way they chose their curry.
I realised the popularity of organic food through chats with customers. As the movement grew and campaigns like Slow Food gained popularity, I was stunned by the fuss about ‘everything organic’. I was born in a village where lives centred around farming. We were introduced to the importance of self sufficiency with food from an early age. So this new English trend did not surprise me, because that is the way we should live in this world anyway.
While I continued my journey, enjoying and understanding the power of good food, we gathered a big following for our Rasa restaurants, enabling us to bring the joys of my mother’s food to British people. I was always keen to take our mission to the next level by introducing organic ingredients. I felt that using the best possible ingredients sourced locally was the ideal way forward to support the community while at the same time, offering our loyal customers better quality food, enhancing their experience and ultimately making our mission for good, honest food to become a lifestyle rather than just a one-off restaurant experience.
As part of my search to find likeminded people, I found Peter. He was the most passionate farmer I ever met; his fascination, energy and excitement could convert anybody to the benefits of organic farming. When we visited his farm in Swindon, he took us on a tour. He spoke of his dreams about changing the fundamentals of our eating habits.
He answered all of my questions. The one thing that stuck with me was his answer when I asked him the difference between organic and non-organic produce. He pulled a bunch of carrots from the soil, held it close to his chest and said, “This comes from the heart! That’s the difference!” As we drove back with a bootfull of vegetables and fruits, I knew this was the way of life for the future.
I thought this passion was going to change the world overnight, just like my dream of transforming the world with food and love. Unfortunately, the truth was different.
Organic food was already a brand, with a premium price tag. Economic boom and new excitement for healthy food helped its growth, but it remained a destination for the affluent thanks to careless market pundits. As we approached the new deadly economic downturn, the organic movement took a knock, because of its expensive nature.
I thought about how I could contribute to this cause and came to the conclusion that the best way to promote the benefits of organic food would be to reach out directly to the people; fresh produce from the farm on to their plate.
And today, as I grow fruits, vegetables and spices in my organic farm in Kerala, I salute that farmer and his mission to empower a new growing community of food lovers. That day on the farm did not just change my outlook on life, but awakened my spirits and made me want to work towards making organic lifestyle to become a reality for everyone.
Das Sreedharan is a London-based restaurateur who owns the Rasa chain.
