Snapshots of Food Industry News
Bowl Hub – A New Offering from the Burger Singh’s Parent Company
Tipping Mr Pink Pvt Ltd, the parent company of home-grown food chain Burger Singh, has forayed into cloud kitchen QSR with Bowl Hub – the first-of-its-kind single-serve-bowl-meal food chain in the region. The company is aiming for a grand launch by opening 17 outlets in different parts of the Delhi NCR region. The new chain of outlets is targeted at office goers and urban millennials, who seek convenient, single-serving food options everyday at sustainable prices.
Speaking about the launch, Tipping Mr Pink founder Kabir Jeet Singh said that the initiative has been rolled out in keeping with the booming trend of online food delivery and cloud kitchens ecosystem in India. Singh added that these changes will have long-term ramifications not just on food producers, restaurants and food retail but also home appliance and property market and his company intends to grab a large piece of that pie.
The Bowl Hub menu will primarily consist of rice bowls with a mix of North Indian, Mughlai, biryanis and Thai gravies. From traditional favourites such as rajma, dal makhani and butter chicken gravy to more contemporary choices like basil cream chicken, chicken korma and Thai curries, it will have an eclectic range of offerings.
Coca-Cola Announces Divestment of Bottling Operations
Beverages giant Coca-Cola had announced its decision to partially divest its bottling operations in the North. Officials privy to the developments said that the divestment process has been set into motion with Coca-Cola selling off 10 per cent of its bottling operations in four key North Indian markets.
In a statement on the matter, the company has said that Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCB), which has been its primary bottler in India, will transfer operations to existing bottlers in four North Indian territories as part of an internal realignment initiative. The company maintained that the changes have been made for the four non-contiguous territories with an aim to stimulate growth and investments in the northern region of the country. Meanwhile, HCCB will continue its operations in West, East and South India.
A major chunk of these divested bottling operations has been bought by MMG Group, which is promoted by diversified entrepreneur Sanjeev Agrawal and own Moon Beverages. In addition to this, the Ladhani Brothers have acquired bottling operation in eastern UP and the Kndhari Group has also secured a small portion of the territory.
House of Mandarin Sets Up Shop in Powai
Chinese restaurant House of Mandarin that has long been a favourite in Mumbai’s Bandra for its intriguing ambience, authentic flavours and well-rounded dining experience has opened a new outlet in another upscale neighbourhood – Powai – in the city.
With a hearty gastronomic experience at its heart, House of Mandarin is among few restaurants that can pride itself on the use of bona fide oriental ingredients and traditional culinary techniques to create dishes that are a tribute to the land of their origin.
Speaking about the ethos that drives the concept of this restaurant, Rachel Goenka, founder and CEO of The Chocolate Spoon Company, said that House of Mandarin is committed to staying true to authentic Chinese cuisine and stand out from the crown of fusion Asian diners. The same Mandarin experience would be recreated for patrons in Powai, she added.
Aromatic Crispy Duck Pancakes, Spicy Crabmeat Soup, Seafood dumpling with vanilla & truffle butter, Turnip cake with burnt garlic & scallions, HOM Steamed Chicken with Lily Flower, Spicy Mapo Tofu, Lobster on a bed of Soft Noodles, and Tenderloin in Black Pepper are some the most standout dishes on the menu here. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of fine wines that perfectly complement the Chinese taste palette.
Campco to Launch Spice-Infused Toffee Range
One normally associates the word toffee with a sweet treat. The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative (CAMPCO) is all set to change that perception with its new range of spice éclair/toffee infused with pepper and ginger. The product, which caters to both adult and young consumers, is slated to be launched in south India first, followed by a pan-India roll out.
The USP of this sugar boiled confectionery will be the distinct hint of spice from the use of all-natural ginger extracts and black pepper powder. The product has been developed after year-long research and development where the focus was to get the combination and proportions of the spices right and analyse its shelf life.
Its offbeat taste aside, the toffee will also boasts of therapeutic qualities as the combination of ginger and pepper with glucose can offer relief from fatigue and is beneficial for body balance. These spices also act as cooling agents, possess mouth freshening properties and alleviate the feeling of parchedness.
The product has been priced at Re 1 a piece.
Grofers Losses Pegged at Rs 448 cr in FY 2018-19, Income Grows by 56%
Online grocery delivery service Grofers has recorded a widening of losses to Rs 448 crore in the financial year 2018-19 from Rs 258.3 crore in the corresponding period a year before that. Meanwhile, its income also registered a 56 per cent increase from the previous fiscal year, as per the details of the regulatory documents filed by the SoftBank-backed company.
The online groceries provider, which competes with players like BigBasket and grocery services of e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Flipkart, saw its income increase to Rs 83.62 crore in financial year 2018-19 from Rs 53.47 crore in 2017-18.
Commenting on the figures, Grofers co-founder and CEO Albinder Dhindsa said that the company’s Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) grew by a whopping 300 per cent in the financial year 2018-19, reaching the Rs 2,500 crore mark. The company now has its eyes set on a massive expansion aimed at bringing 100 million customers from the hitherto untapped socio-economic demographics online.
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