The Aadi wind is making its presence felt in this house-turned-showroom of Vaibavam Foods in Srirangam as visitors walk in to taste its wares.
With the strong wind whistling through the window grills, and a team of around a dozen sari-clad chefs in the process of cooking up at least 150 (and counting) varieties of sweets, savouries, readymix spice powders and pickles, all over the converted bungalow, it is a very different world from what Vaibavam’s proprietors, the married couple and former IT sector workers S Senthil and Janani, were used to, as recently as 2020.
Were they daunted by the already crowded snack food market? “Of course! But we were excited too, because we wanted to bring a taste of home that was missing in the huge commercial operations,” says Senthil.
Vaibavam Foods founders S Senthil and Janani with some of the brand’s traditional snacks. | Photo Credit: M MOORTHY
Tasty treats
The ‘taste of home’ keeps coming back into our conversation. For one, Vaibavam’s sweets and savouries are fried in ghee (clarified butter). “We know that oil is the most preferred medium by businesses, because it prolongs the shelf life of the food item, but those trans-fats are not healthy. We decided on ghee because that’s how we used to prepare our snacks at home,”.says Senthil.
The result is a wide range of goodies that hit the high notes with buttery undertones. Janani, who takes care of the product catalogue, whirls around setting the stoves up for Vaibavam’s signature range of murukkus, especially the best-selling ‘pulippu’ murukku (made tangy with a dash of lime juice).
Murukku is a best-selling snack at Vaibavam Foods, Srirangam. | Photo Credit: M MOORTHY
In another corner, a small batch of nut cakes is pressed into round shapes and readied for packing. “Since we do not use glucose syrup, the cakes lose form and shine quickly. But they are still tasty. We are very reluctant to use additives and essences in our preparations, just to make them visually appealing,” says Janani.
Rare delicacies
Negotiating at least eight months of uncertain sales and learning the ropes slowly, the couple credits the support given by family and friends for Vaibavam’s success. “There were days when we’d feel very low, and miss the regular life of salaried work, but running Vaibavam has been worth all the teething problems,” says Janani, adding, “We’ve been fortunate to meet people who have offered to show us how to do things in a cost-effective way without compromising on the taste. One ardent customer invited us to stay at her home overnight and learn how to make pickles, which was a real eye-opener for us.”
“Like our menu, our customer base has also grown by leaps and bounds,” says Senthil. Among the delicacies one may find here, are seasonal specials such as Sutta thengai (whole coconut punctured and filled with a sweet filling and roasted on an open flame), which is typically prepared during the month of Aadi, and jackfruit halwa.
Some of the recipes are used for specific community rituals. “The Pillaiyar Koombu, is an integral part of weddings. It is made with syrup-soaked dals to look like a tower,” says Janani, as she displays a plate with two of the sweetmeats.
They undertake orders for functions and also ship out to customers in Chennai and Bengaluru through WhasApp.
Business 101
A worker gets adirasam ready for dispatch at Vaibavam Foods, Srirangam. | Photo Credit: Moorthy_M
The duo is still discovering new things everyday. “There’s a nostalgia value attached to these snacks, and very often people are unable to prepare it themselves. We are trying to fill the gap in this sector,” says Janani.
Senthil finds the support from local business forums to be very useful. “I have been mentored by many experts in aspects such as introducing new products, and disposing our used cooking medium for biodiesel processing in an eco-friendly manner. Since I was away for a long time, finding guides locally has given us a boost,” he says.
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