“Nuts For Nutrition”
It was the name that first caught my eye.
The next thing that I noticed was the twisted yogi image on the pickle bottle in my local grocery store. By now my interest was piqued. On checking their website, I found a range of products from a Multi Millet Atta to an English Apple Chutney co-existing under one roof. The Nutty Yogi roof.
I wanted to know more about this brand with a serious health mission and an amusing sense of humour. What I expected on reaching out to Pallavi Gupta- founder of Nutty Yogi, was an inspiring entrepreneurial journey. What I did not expect was to stumble upon a story of how one can turn tough life situations into opportunities to pave the way for something better.
The Beginning
For Pallavi, an engineering and management graduate, the world of entrepreneurship was not new. She had already established a successful venture with her husband. But with all the long hours and the constant stress came a series of serious health complications which made Pallavi take a step back and focus on herself. “I realised the hard way how important it is to build immunity. I started looking into my food and ensuring a healthy diet. Not only did my bigger problems go away, but I also found that I was fitter than before. We are, after all, what we put into ourselves.”
Pallavi’s quest for healthy food made her realize the shortage of products that represent this notion in the right way. “This was in 2012. I kept thinking shouldn’t it be easy? We are looking for locally grown ingredients and products that are a part of our traditional diet. When I started hunting for healthy products, I found that some of them were remotely available, some were expensive, and some were both. It’s a very expensive proposition, in general, to be healthy today.”
Pallavi decided to take matters into her own hands and make healthy products an easy option for those looking. Nutty Yogi, she says, is for people who are caught at the crossroads of trying to maintain a good life amidst the constant chaos and demands of a busy schedule. “How does a normal, nutty urban person like us, who is leading a stressful life, 9 to 9, traffic, deadlines etc. manage to keep the yogi in him going. So I thought let me start this.”
The Discovery
What followed was a lot of travel across the country to find the right sources for all the Nutty Yogis out there. Pallavi shares that she spent 18 months discovering the many hidden treasure troves in our country. Was it tough?- I ask “Honestly, I am a bit sad that we had to end it,” she says laughing. “We decided we would not only source ingredients but also make blends and products which would address most of our daily needs. For each product/ ingredient, wherever we found the right fit in terms of people who make them and the supply chain, we work with them.” Nutty Yogi works with many small-scale manufacturers and farming cooperatives which value better returns for farmers and help them in finding the right market for their products.
This means the ghee by Nutty Yogi comes from a goshala in Bihar, the pickles from all over the country, the salt from the Himalayan bed and the spices are sourced from organic sources where purity is much valued. This is just the tip of the iceberg for all the products you would find on their website. Let’s just say they mean it when they claim – “we trek a hundred hills to bring that one ingredient home.”
“We have 250 + products now, so we are taking a break from developing more. But our journey opened our eyes to so many forgotten traditions and methods of making food products. For example in Rajasthan, we saw that while milling the flour they just place the Bajra on top of the flour mill and because of the heat generated by the process the Bajra pops. They sautè this with a little bit of masala and eat it. These simple processes are so commonplace. It’s lovely to witness them up close.”
The Product Box
Sugar, spice and everything nice- no I have not found a sudden need to reference The Power Puff Girls. This is what you will see when you start browsing for products on the Nutty Yogi website. Coconut sugar, Alphonso mango conserve, aam papad churan, museli, trail mixes and pickles. Wait, pickles? “Pickling is such a big part of our food tradition. It’s not the pickle which is the problem, it is the way pickling is done. We looked at natural and seasonal choices for making pickles like amla, jackfruit, lotus stem, apples. We also found makers who were letting the pickle ferment naturally in traditional ceramic pickle jars without any induced heat. We picked up cold pressed mustard oil for our pickles. In fact, our suppliers were willing to make these pickles traditionally even if we wanted them to scale up. These methods are still alive in many parts of our country, and they need to be encouraged.”
Keeping it authentic, handmade and traditional while catering to a large audience. Won’t that be difficult? “Not if you are hard working,” comes the quick response.
For the #nuttyyogi in all of us! Click To TweetThe Consumer
“We want to be present at the centre of the plate and across the kitchen for consumers,” says Pallavi. Nutty Yogi opened its virtual doors on July 1, 2017. How have people responded? “We have had an honest and warm response. We are not heavily priced, and consumers are welcoming that fact. The other thing they notice is the quality of ingredients. I was surprised by the amount of awareness which is already there. Consumers are very astute, and they will not fall for marketing gimmicks anymore. They are averse to products which shout the healthy slogan but are not. They like these handcrafted and natural products which are true to the mission.”
The Food Business
“Food is a tough business. People evaluate food options very ruthlessly. They love you ruthlessly, and they criticize you ruthlessly,” says the seasoned entrepreneur in Pallavi.
While most people in her situation might have decided to take things easy, Pallavi seems to have embraced this new journey with all its ups and downs. What motivates her is her passion, and that, she says is the only reason you need. “Imagine on one end you will have a consumer looking for something specific, and on the other end, you will be working with a supply chain which is still very disorganized. You need to be in it for the right reasons and have a real passion for what you do. Otherwise, these situations will be a lot tougher to handle, and that question of how much I am doing vs what am I getting will start seeping in.” So her advice to all aspiring food entrepreneurs out there is simple –“Get into it for the right reasons, fall in love with what you do and stay long enough to see results.”
Nutty Yogi products are currently available online, and they deliver across India. They will be available in stores in Bangalore in six months time.
For more information visit https://nuttyyogi.com/. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on their products. Make sure you take a look at their festive hampers for this holiday season.
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