Gone are the times when head chefs from restaurants were our craving saviors. With the world amidst a pandemic, a home chef is our new favorite person. But will they hang around, once we are back to our old normal?
In a time where everything is at a standstill and cleanliness and hygiene is of utmost importance, one thing that’s really missed by everybody is ordering in. Although nothing replaces the local food joints and cutting chai, the culture of home chefs and their authentic and super delicious culinary skills have come to our rescue.
There’s another reason, as to why the home kitchens have seen soaring heights and great business in this lockdown. Taking into consideration all the shops and restaurants were shut, for a very long period of time, everybody that depended on a cook or a canteen for their food supply found themselves in a fit, suddenly in a snap of a finger they had to fend for themselves. Here’s where home chefs came into the picture and really saved the show. All the way, from having no place to buy birthday cakes, to craving their favorite dish and not having to cook it themselves.
The lockdown has given wings to the aspiration of a few secret chefs. No, we are not talking about the ones who are cooking, clicking and posting, but the ones who are curating menus of their best dishes and selling with the help of social media and networking. And not just the new comers in the business, but also the ones who have been doing this for a while now. Most home chefs who were already in the business before the lockdown with an established customer base, told us that their business saw a huge hike during the lockdown and so did some of the new ones.
Home chefs have said that the one thing they found very difficult to source was seafood, as no fishermen were fishing and all the fish markets were closed. The only seafood available was the frozen fish that you get in stores but they were skeptical to serve that as it is not fresh and turns out stale sometimes.
The year was a tough one, but it went really great for some, as it did not just increase sales, but also made me them celebrity chef and gave them a new and bigger customer base, which will help the business in the future.
From regular grocery runs, to shortage of ingredients, to lack of sleep, to recipe failures, there’s a lot one has to go through while cooking for others. The job of a home chef may seem easy; it may seem like “just cooking for people”, but it is way more than that. Making sure to find all the supplies and then making sure they get to you on time, arranging for boxes to deliver the food, finding a trusted delivery service, maintaining extra hygiene and sanitizing everything around, making sure no mistake is made in any order or dealing with tough customers are just the tip of the iceberg.
Most of the people are staying at home and following trends on social media. From fashion to food, they want it all. Which is why many home chefs have inspired themselves by making things like dalgona cheesecakes, gourmet street food, pancake cereal and many more. Bakers have also had a hike in their business as stay at home birthdays also require a cake. While many are trying to bake one at home, the others are customizing and ordering from a local home chef.
Amidst the lockdown, eating out became almost an alien concept to Mumbai’s otherwise party friendly crowd. For most of the lockdown, restaurants were shut, so city-based home chefs saw a surge in demand. The hike did not just raise the business for old home chefs but also gave courage to the ones who have always thought of
Along with home kitchens, the world is also seeing an unstoppable rise in Veganism and other forms of diets like keto, Paleo, Atkins, etc. While most supplies to prepare such food is available in the markets, people crave for unusual recipes. Which is where the home chefs come in. Various home kitchens, have been providing customized keto or vegan meals, which has helped the customers savor their cravings. The best thing about home kitchens is that they can take care of your special requests and make your food the way you like.
And what about the ones who are craving authentic, true-to-origin recipes from various cuisines? Home chefs have got a fix for them too. While some of them are specializing in Bengali food, the others are specializing in Sri Lankan food. Many are also following the trend of fusion food by curating recipes like sushi pizza, Pad Thai taco, noodle burgers and many more.
The pandemic has helped a lot of people take their passion of cooking to the next level by starting their very own home kitchens. Some of them have been curating menus while some have been taking orders by requests. Furthermore, with restaurants not being the safest option, customers are looking for alternatives and leaning towards home chefs.
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