By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 25 Oct: A very interesting discussion titled “From Farm to Table: The Culture & Business of Food” was held on the opening day of the two-day Valley of Words Literature and Arts Festival at Hotel Madhuban here on Saturday. The session was moderated by Roopa Soni, a nutritionist, yoga instructor and menstrual health educator based in Dehradun, who is also the founder of Soulfit Cloud Kitchen. The panellists for the discussion were entrepreneurs in the food industry, Nupur Aggarwal, founder of the Kiwi brand of organic food products; lawyer and restaurateur Shruti Gupta, who runs restaurants under the brand names Coco and Monsoon; and Yojana Khanduri Chaudhary, founder of Himalayan Rasoiya and an expert on traditional Pahari cuisine.
The panellists shared their personal journeys into the world of food and entrepreneurship. Shruti Gupta said that although she continues to practise law, her deep interest in food inspired her to venture into the culinary business. Nupur Aggarwal recounted that while studying in the United Kingdom, she missed Indian food and realised, at her mother’s insistence, the vital place food holds in one’s life. However, it was during a visit to Belgium that she discovered a leading chocolate unit which neither grew cocoa nor produced milk, yet was manufacturing one of Europe’s best-known chocolate brands. This experience sparked her vision of connecting directly with farmers in India, especially those in the hill regions, to promote organic food products. Her venture later took shape as the Kiwi Brand, which has also earned recognition from Shark Tank.
Yojana Khanduri Chaudhary said that food had always been an integral part of her life even though she continues to pursue her professional interest in textile designing. She expressed concern that traditional Pahari cuisine is disappearing from dining tables and that younger generations in Uttarakhand are forgetting their culinary roots. She said she now focuses on promoting authentic Pahari dishes and takes pride in the fact that even her ten-year-old son enjoys and appreciates traditional Pahari food prepared by her.
Responding to a question by moderator Roopa Soni, Nupur Aggarwal highlighted the importance of value addition at the farmers’ level to make agriculture more profitable. She, however, cautioned that consumers must understand that organic products, being natural, cannot maintain absolute consistency in taste, texture, flavour or aroma. She added that it has been a blessing in disguise that regions such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the North-Eastern states were largely untouched by the Green Revolution and have thus remained organic by default.
Shruti Gupta, in her remarks, emphasised that while the quality of food served is paramount, its presentation is equally important in appealing to customers. The engaging session offered valuable insights into the cultural and commercial dimensions of food, blending entrepreneurial experience with a shared commitment to authenticity and sustainability.
