In August 2021, when Sneha Saikia, a Delhi-based home chef who is known for her Table for 6 Luncheon, invited me to experience Assamese food and talk about food of other Northeastern states, it was quite an enriching experience that helped me understand the new wave of change humble home kitchens were ready to bring to the dynamic commercial food and beverages market. And today, Sneha, along with a brigade of many other home chefs across the country, are cooking up a storm, bringing the warmth and authenticity of traditional cooking into modern kitchens, celebrating the essence of home food that nourishes both body and soul. Unlike mass-produced meals, these home-cooked dishes are crafted with care, using fresh ingredients, time-honored recipes, and a personal touch that evokes comfort and nostalgia. Home chefs like Nitika Kuthalia, who is a culinarian and Himalayan chef and runs her Instagram page by the handle Pahadipatal, are preserving cultural heritage, showcasing regional flavors and culinary traditions passed down through generations. They not only cater to taste but also focus on health, ensuring balanced and wholesome meals free from artificial additives. In a fast-paced world, home food reminds us of simplicity, love, and the joy of sharing meals with family and friends—making it more than just food, but an experience rich in memories and emotions, and as the year comes to an end, we trace back the journey of these unsung heroes and what the new year holds for them.
Achievements
The biggest achievement for many home chefs who are running on-invite tables and even home deliveries in 2024 has been the shift from home kitchens to catering services. The word of mouth and authentic flavors by these home chefs have now reached the mass market, where they are having dedicated stalls or sit-down dinner/lunch setups for regional delicacies these chefs offer. Nitika, who is known for her Himachali food, did a catering of 125 Himachali Dham from her home kitchen and even hosted a food pop-up at ITC Kohinoor, which helped her broaden her horizons in a commercial kitchen setup too. Abhilasha Jain, who runs her business called Marwadi Khana and has expertise in vegetarian Rajasthani food and mithais, hosted a Rajasthani three 5-star hotel pop-up and 100+ gathering catering in 2024. And Poushali Mullick, who runs the page called A Pinch of Bong on Instagram, did Bengali food catering for 60 packs this year, which she is expecting will increase to be in the hundreds in 2025.
Challenges
“Where there is a will, there is a way.” These words of wisdom have helped many home chefs to grow in the post-pandemic times. For Poushali, the biggest challenge has been to manage cooking and promote her work on social media to get more business opportunities. She accepts, “In terms of challenges, I feel balancing between cooking and promoting my work by posting on social media and clicking food shots is where I lack, but then I guess my food does the talking, and even without doing much of promotion, I have been mostly occupied with orders, dinner tables, and catering opportunities in 2024.” However, I am trying to create a balance, and my family is helping me in this regard,” she adds.
Abhilasha feels that the only challenge her team faced this year had been to adapt to the change from a cloud kitchen setup to a massive commercial kitchen setup, where you have to coordinate with a large number of people to execute your menu. Rest, it is always about enjoying what you do, and that reflects in the flavors you offer, affirms Abhilasha, who recently did a dedicated Rajasthani cuisine catering for a haldi function at a 5-star hotel in Delhi/NCR.
Chef’s Take
Ace chef Anuj Wadhawan, who is currently consulting for several restaurants in India and abroad, believes that home chefs have become true stars in promoting regional cuisines. He explains, “Variety is the spice of life, and while international cuisines are widely available in restaurants and cafes, home chefs are filling a gap by offering authentic Indian dishes that are difficult to include on a commercial menu.” He further elaborates, “The popularity of home chefs has also increased in metropolitan cities because people from across the country are residing here, and after a while they do miss their authentic regional food, which these home chefs provide with a cozy setup, which helps people reconnect with their roots.”
Change in Market
As per CRISIL’s November 2024 data, the cost of a vegetarian thali has increased 7% year-on-year, while the cost of a non-vegetarian thali increased 2% year-on-year. And this shift in price has surely raised concerns for regular diners who love dining out, and that is the reason there are people who are opting out to go for home chefs to either visit their place for a regional food experience or order in through their social media pages. Pratibha Tripathi, a Gurgaon resident who lives by herself, says that being alone gives me the scope to make impromptu dinner plans, and in 2024, I have made a switch from restaurant to home chef’s table, as it is peaceful, and you get to experience more personalized attention. Sneha adds, “I recently did a birthday table, where the family opted for my house to be their celebration venue over a cafe/restaurant, offering a more personalized experience, and there is no rush to empty the place.”
Future File
While the market of Delhi/NCR is growing rapidly, and according to the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), the food services sector in India is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1% from 2024 to 2028, the home chefs feel that the market is right for their growth too, and all of them are expecting a booming 2025, where sit-down lunches and dinners and more of catering services will come their way. Abhilasha quips, “I am expecting more catering offers at weddings and luxury hotels in 2025, as it will help me and my team push the envelope and offer more in terms of flavors and, at the same time, help the team to learn management skills at such a larger setup.” Poushali, who enjoys inviting people home and offering food in a cozy setup, also feels that cooking for a larger audience from her home kitchen is something that she loves to challenge herself with and gives her a sense of achievement when accomplished. Sneha, on the other hand, feels that it’s the time for us (home chefs) to make people understand the value of home-cooked food and the variety that Indian regional cuisines offer, and that can happen only when more and more people experience it and share about it via social media, which has already helped many home chefs to grow with word of mouth.
Nitika is looking forward to flourishing her other dynamic of a home chef, where she makes pickles of seasonal fruits and veggies and makes people understand its benefits too. She also offers homemade panjiri, which she is planning to expand in 2025, as it is something that many people don’t know, and I want to spread knowledge about it in the coming year.
Takeaway
Home chefs are redefining the dining experience and are now making their way to larger caterings, which is expected to change the catering business model in terms of quality and stress on lesser-known regional cuisines and will also provide job opportunities to many housewives, who wish to grow with their cooking skills but often miss out on opportunities due to lack of information, scope, and opportunities.
What do you think of the growing market of home chefs? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Thumb and Embed Images Courtesy: Sneha Saikia, Abhilasha Jain, Nitika Kuthalia, and Poushali Mullick
