Latest news with #Carrots
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Why the popularity of vegan food skyrocketed in Bengaluru after the pandemic
We were in the teetering, tottering, terrible twos stage of running our vegan restaurant, Carrots, in 2015, when an experienced person in the F&B industry said, 'Vegan food will fail. Switch to vegetarian!' I might have crumbled under his smugness. But over a decade of being vegan in India had made it clear to me which direction vegan cuisine was heading. We were just ahead of the curve. Soon more vegan restaurants and home bakeries cropped up across the city. But the real snowballing began during the lockdown '2020 and 2021 skyrocketed vegan options in Bengaluru,' says Shruti Mishra, an entrepreneur and marketing consultant who jets between Bengaluru and the Silicon Valley. Due to the pandemic, many food businesses (including my own) succumbed to difficult market conditions. But underneath, a tectonic shift was happening. Concerns about health made people take a sharper look at their eating habits. When you look into where your food comes from, it is hard to ignore the practices in animal agriculture, and also its impact on global warming. In a Venn diagram of ethical food production, better health and environment, veganism sits squarely in the middle. Two significant things happened with the increase in awareness. First, people became plant-forward in their diet, and those who were ethically inclined turned vegan. We saw an influx of people in our 'Bengaluru Vegans' Telegram group which had about 80 members before the pandemic and is at 191 now. The Facebook group has 5600 members. Second, being stuck indoors, more vegans dabbled in entrepreneurship. Several plant-based home kitchens sprouted up across the city serving a range of foods from cupcakes to hummus dips. People who had been regular guests at our restaurant reached out to me for mentoring on starting their own vegan food businesses. My sadness at shutting down my own business was quickly overpowered by the joy of helping new small businesses start and grow in the quickly changing F&B ecosystem. ''Vegan' became a buzz word,' says Shruti. . Not wanting to be left behind, more restaurants started making an effort. Nikhil Gupta introduced vegan dishes at The Pizza Bakery and Paris Panini three years ago thanks to an increase in demand. These include pizzas, multi-grain wraps and sandwiches. 'It's a small part of our business, but it's a growing one,' he says. While many food businesses have become more inclusive of vegans in recent times, others who began years ago find it much easier now. Pallavii Gupta, partner at Santé Spa Cuisine, which has two outlets in Bengaluru, worked hard to train her team about vegan food in 2018. By 2023, when she founded The Kind Roastery, she says awareness about vegan cuisine had grown so drastically in the industry, it was easy to include loads of vegan options on their menu such as Corn Ribs, Lemon Poppyseed Cake, and Vegan Sourdough Beirut. . Vinay Chaitanya of The Digitale Chef started out his patisserie and café as mostly vegan with vegetarian options, but turned his entire menu vegan because alternatives like mylks (plant-based milks) and butters became easily available. His Chocolate Truffle Cake and Artisanal Breads are loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. It is not just the vegans that order vegan dishes nowadays. Curiosity is growing. Those who enjoy exploring new cuisines or have allergies to animal products, and people who dine out with vegans. Namu Kini, who curates the 'Namu Recommends Vegan Markets' in the city, talks about 'the vegan veto'. When a vegan dines out with friends or family, if a restaurant does not cater to their needs, their entire group will choose to dine somewhere else. 'If a restaurant does not offer good vegan food, it is not just that one vegan they miss out on. Once our entire family of 12 wanted to celebrate at a five-star restaurant. The chef refused to veganise anything, so we did not dine there. They lost business.' Shailaja Vishwanath, a Bengaluru-based holistic wellness coach, and Karthic Ashokan, a young entrepreneur who enjoys scouting for vegan food, take their non-vegan friends and family to fully vegan restaurants, like Café Graze. They say their loved ones are amazed by how amazing their Special Festival Thalis and Sunday Brunches taste. Upasana Bijoor and Mahalakshmi Raghunath, who run Cafe Graze, say two-thirds of their guests are vegan and whole foods plant-based. These guests bring non-vegans, who return because they enjoy the food, especially their range of dessert themed Healthy Smoothie Bowls. . Upasana adds, 'Our Cashew Mylk Masala Chai is a bestseller!' As demand for high quality plant-based cuisine grows globally, Bengaluru refuses to be left behind. More vegan options appear in the city each day. Vegan food is a cuisine in its own right. A quick warning, some restaurants may misunderstand or misuse the 'vegan' label. Be sure to check the ingredients before you order, especially if you have any allergies. Susmitha S is a vegan chef and lifestyle expert
South China Morning Post
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for April 24-26
With the long public holiday in the rear view, the weather has now progressed from pleasantly warm to bordering on sweltering. This weekend is the perfect time to get out and get healthy, so grab a cold one as Eaton Hong Kong celebrates seven years of its craft bar Flower Years, or celebrate Mostly Harmless' new zero-alcohol approach to round out the weekend. In between, there's still time have a proper drink as Jakarta's Carrots visits The Opposites. Friday, April 25 Flower Years 7th Anniversary of Fame Beer Party Flower Years is the craft beer destination at Eaton Hong Kong. Photo: Handout What: Eaton Hong Kong is looking to celebrate the seventh birthday of its craft beer outpost Flower Years with a bang! As the weather warms, there might be nothing better than starting your weekend with free-flow craft beers (at HK$248 a person) from Flower Years, but also from Young Master and Yardley Brothers. The party will also have cocktails like Higher than Salted Lime Highball which combines salt-cured lime, cane sugar and vodka, or the Hand-Cranked Laser Gun Pink Guava Lime Glitter Sour, a shimmering pink concoction with heavy guava and citrus flavours. Advertisement Where: Flower Years, Level LG, Eaton Food Hall, 380 Nathan Road, Jordan When: 6.30-11pm Saturday, April 26 Opposites x Carrots (Jakarta) Jakarta-based Carrots will visit The Opposites this weekend. Photo: Handout What: Alvin Sung Jaya and Anthony Luis are stopping over in Hong Kong from Carrots in Jakarta to bring bold and refreshing flavours to The Opposites this weekend. Opened in 2023, Carrots is a small, intimate venue located in the Indonesian capital's central business district and focuses on a trim selection of modern signatures inspired by Indonesian culture and contemporary flavours. Some of their recent signatures include the Ash Grey, a sip which combines peanut butter blended scotch, black sesame and rice liqueur, mango purée and coconut cream. Where: The Opposites, LG/F, Hilltop Plaza, 49 Hollywood Road, Central When: 8-11pm Sunday, April 27 Mostly Harmless Sazerac Sunday Zero
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
West Virginia celebrating ramps with week of events
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — To celebrate the upcoming ramps harvest season, festivals and dinners are scheduled across West Virginia. Ramps are an Appalachian vegetable similar to green onions or wild garlic. They are known for their potent flavor but have also become a delicious symbol of West Virginia culture. Here are a few events during the week of April 19-26 celebrating ramps. This annual festival celebrates ramps harvest season and the beginning of West Virginia Mountain Rail's spring train season. Vendors with ramps-inspired products will be set up near the Elkins Depot Welcome Center from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 26. Entry to the event is free, but make sure you have money with you for 'ramparoni rolls' and ramps donuts. Tickets for the one-hour train rides that will be available during the festival can be purchased online here for $29 for general admission. When is ramps harvest season in West Virginia? There will be a ramp dinner in Monongalia County on Saturday, April 26. The event will be hosted by Mason-Dixon Historical Park from 9 a.m.-2p.m. There will be a buffet of homestyle dishes featuring ramps, and crafters, artisans, and small businesses will be on-site as vendors selling their products. The dinner is $15 for adults and will be held at the park's red barn. Anyone interested in volunteering for the event can contact 304-879-4101. The 30th annual Ramp Dinner at the Upshur County Public Library will be held on Friday, April 25 from 5-8 p.m. The menu for the dinner is prepared by Chef Dale Hawkins of Fish Hawk Acres and will include the following items: Deviled Eggs with Pickled Ramps Fish Hawk Acres Signature Baked Ham (no ramps) Asparagus, Baby Carrots, Sugar Snap Peas (with & without ramps) Roasted Spring Potatoes (with & without ramps) Spinach Salad with Bacon Ramp Vinaigrette (non-ramp option available) Potato & Ramp Chowder Ramp & Vegetable Strata (Italian Quiche w/ Spinach, Mushrooms, Peppers, Tomatoes & Ramps) Ramp Focaccia Strawberry Shortcake Tickets are $28 for adults and include the meal and entertainment, although takeout options are available. Advance tickets should be purchased at the library or online here. All proceeds will benefit the Upshur County Public Library. Fayetteville hosts this one-day festival which features a ramp buffet followed by live music. The $25 ticket includes the meal of 13 ramp-centered dishes, including ramp smoked sausage, ramperoni rolls, and ramp ice cream with ramp salted caramel sauce. The buffet runs from 2-8 p.m. on Saturday, April 19 with live musicians Paul E Johnson & Corey Lee McQuade and The Creekers performing. Register or get more information here. How to harvest fiddleheads, West Virginia's lesser-known forageable vegetable Located in the small Wetzel County community of Reader, this festival will be held on the ground of Short Line School. The festival is still accepting applications for vendors of handmade products, ramp food and other items. If you're looking for a small town festival feel—this is it. More information will be shared on the event Facebook page. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
