CHENNAI: The year 2020, despite the coronavirus wreaking havoc on many small and medium businesses, has given wings to a breed of entrepreneurs who had mostly remained closeted until then -- home chefs. Taking advantage of multiple lockdowns and Chennaiites’ new found interest in home-cooked food, the home chefs have used social media to promote their businesses and monetise it.
Easy customisation options, affordability and a guarantee of hygiene have lured a large number of patrons for them. “During the initial days of the pandemic, people were wary of whatever entered their homes from outside. They found home-cooked food convenient and less risky. It soon became a hit because of the availability of varieties and a promise of hygiene at the same time. Many still continue to enter the business,” said P Shanthi, a home chef.
Mostly women, the rising number of home chefs take orders through apps such as Instagram and WhatsApp and use private logistics services to deliver them. Online payments have come in handy for them. They say the business is lucrative and innovative as well. While the trend was initially restricted to only baking, now the offers range from pizzas to local cuisine to fusion food.
The new entrepreneurs work from the kitchen at their homes and use word of mouth marketing to take the business to their neighbourhoods. Some have begun applying for FSSAI licences. S Pavika, a 15-year-old baker, says, “I began selling baked goodies last year. But, the number of orders grew manifold during the pandemic period. Particularly, when bakeries were shut during the lockdown, people turned to us for birthday cakes. Most of them have now become our regular customers and never went back to bakeries.”
The home chefs say customisation of foods played a crucial part in their success. “Since, the food comes from a home, public find it more convenient to customise. Sometimes, when we customise as per the customer’s wish, the dish turns into a totally different one from what we intended to make. But, as long as they are happy, we don’t mind experimenting with it,” says S Radhika, who specialises in traditional food varieties. H Vinaya, an IT professional by day who turns home chef by night, says affordability gave the customers another reason to stick to the chefs.
“The food prices are almost 50 per cent lesser compared to that of restaurants. But, sometimes, the need to make the order a day before and the extra delivery charges put off a customer. Also, while other cities have applications to support home chefs, Chennai is yet to have such platforms which the home chefs can make use of.” According to a RedSeer report, the overall food delivery market in India was valued at $15 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 24 per cent to reach $36 billion in 2020. Despite the pandemic-triggered slowdown, the home chefs are expected to be a driving force of the market.