Food festivals that provide an interactive experience to gastronomes are becoming a big fad in Delhi. Open air fests offer authentic variety and give a platform to small scale brands. By Shrabasti Mallik
There was nothing one could do to skip the queue that only grew longer with each passing hour. What made the wait almost unbearable was the tempting aroma from tandoors and grillers. Thumping music added to the excitement. While waiting for our turn at the entrance, we wondered why food festivals like The Grub Fest, that brings together popular restaurants under one roof, are gaining popularity in Delhi. The three-day festival that happened over the weekend at JlN stadium featured nearly 50 food outlets from the city. Just a few months back, Delhiites turned up in big number at Nehru Park to make most of the interesting variety of food that was on offer at Palate Fest.
People’s fad
It was the people who made Palate Fest a huge hit by posting all the right things about it on social media. The same happened with The Grub Fest. Seems all that Delhiites care about is an interactive experience with food. And to curate that experience, there are masterminds who combine food with all things good — music, culinary classes and chef meet-and-greets. “This year has started with a good note for foodies with festivals being organised in quick successions. The trend kickstarted with Palate Fest, followed by Delhi Street Food Festival and now The Grub Fest. Interestingly, the footfall has been good since the crowd has been growing,” says Anjali Sharma, a Shimla-based food blogger. Ankit Gupta, an employee at RBS, believes that food festivals are a great place where one can get to know their food. “Eating out is not just about having good food, it is about knowing the food as well. And there is no better place to try out a wide variety of food than these food festivals. Plus you have so many options under one roof. It saves you the time of searching for good places to eat,” he says.
Spoilt for choice
Ever since Delhi made it to the list of “best destinations for food and drink” there has been no dearth of popular retail chains making a beeline into Delhi’s culinary world. Be it Monkey Bar, Johnny Rockets or high end restaurants like Indigo, the food directory just got an impressive extension. The open air fests offer an opportunity to these new entrants to reach a wider section of people and present the best that they have. “When a family decides to dine out, they choose a restaurant in the vicinity. They may have heard about some popular restaurant but won’t go there if it’s inconvenient for them to reach that place. These festivals bring these restaurants closer to people,” says Shagun Batheja, manager, Fio chain of restaurants. People shed inhibitions at such fests, feels Rupali Kar, a Delhiite who owns a small eatery in Konark. “People hesitate to walk into hi-end restaurants. Food here is affordable,” she says.
An authentic deal
There was a time when Chinese food was cooked with Indian spices and momos were preferred in their fried form. While there will always be a certain number of people who will prefer that, there is an increase in the number of people who like their food authentic. Therefore, we are seeing a rise in the number of Thai and Japanese outlets in the city.
According to Varun Puri, owner of Shiv Sagar, Delhi is a replica of mini India and people are open to trying different things. “Delhiites are opening up to all varieties of food. If one is unaware of the authentic flavour of a particular cuisine and wants to know, these festivals are the ideal place as you also get to directly meet the chef and know the food,” he says. Rohan Jaina, owner of Holy Smoke believes that Delhi is the next big destination for anything remotely related to food. “People travel a lot and they bring back to India the taste that they have liked elsewhere. They look for what they have tasted. Young Delhiites are no longer afraid to try pork, beef and quail and that makes a big difference,” he said.
The increasing obsession with food quality is bringing a change, too, in people’s preferences. “Food lovers are more conscious of what they are eating and are willing to spend on good food. Food carnivals are the ideal place to let the customers know about the new preparations that chefs are coming up with,” says Vivek Prakash of Wingreens Farms.
Vehicle of allied marketing
These festivals also provide an ideal platform to small scale food brands and entrepreneurs. While the Palate Festival gave a big boost to enterprises like Nourish Organic Foods and Antidote (organic drinks), the Grub Fest gave Wingreens Farm and The Flip Pan a chance to interact directly with customers. Niyati Joshi co-owner of The Flip Pan says, “Ours is a home catering business. We do not run a store or shop but take small orders for private parties. This is a great place for us to market ourselves and get customers’ reviews.”
One of the organisers of The Grub Festival, Mani Singh Cheema, believes that success of food festivals lies in promoting small companies. “I personally believe in pushing the norms. Delhi is one such place where every kind of food is accepted. We help younger brands grow and establish themselves. Delhi has a lot of potential in the food industry and it is for organisers to tap that,” he says.