A natural twist of taste

Organic foods are increasingly finding favour among young consumers who are not price sensitive when it comes to healthy eating.

Organic food has come to be associated with better health and people in Mumbai appear to be increasingly turning towards it. Younger consumers want to buy brands that ‘are doing the right thing’ while at the same time, are delivering a quality product. Hence, the quest for organic food and beverages is growing. Fruits and vegetables, cheese, milk, spices and tea — every category is offering organic versions.

Vedanta Organics, The Organic Garden, Naturally Yours are now known for their expertise in organic food. Online shopping has also further boosted the demand for organic foods. Gourmet Delight, an online store is one such option, which offers everything from farm fresh cottage cheese to fresh organic fruits & vegetables. Raka Chakrawarti, founder & CEO, says, “The organic industry in India has been growing at a whopping 83 per cent CAGR. Currently at USD 2 billion, the key growth drivers being, increased urbanisation, health consciousness and curiosity to try fine dining at home. An online store which specifically caters to customers looking for farm to table quality produce, needs to look beyond the everyday grocery list and hence the inclusion of so-called everyday exotics such as kale, celery, micro greens, baby arugula and cherry tomatoes. Also, I believe that these foods have a positive impact on the environment, besides keeping us healthy.”

Natural and organic food need not be just healthy, it can be quirky and fun too. Chef Alyssa Chesson, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, who runs Bono, a boutique ice cream brand, uses only organic milk and no preservatives, stabilisers or emulsifiers in her ice creams. The emphasis is on natural products. And now she has even introduced some cheeky flavours such as blue cheese honey, dark chocolate truffle oil and white chocolate with passion fruit.

Organic influence can be seen in the juice sector too. There are brands that offer juices containing pure, raw ingredients, extracted using the world class cold-press technology, which ensures the juices have all the flavours and nutrients intact in the finest and natural form. This also makes them easily digestible.

Consumers perceive organic products to be healthier and expect to find them more readily available in smaller stores or online nowadays and this independent sector with entrepreneurs, who are selling organic fare, to customers who are not price sensitive, but want only the best, is buoyant. But the current shift towards healthy eating continues to open new opportunities for the organic foods sector, thereby changing the face of food shopping in Mumbai.

— Mini is a food writer