A craving for a Banana Jam that she tasted on holiday in France led to experiments in the kitchen and eventually a demand for what she was making for friends & family made her recognize the gap in the Indian market when it came to artisanal, innovative and chemical-free preserves & condiments. Let’s see what more Apeksha has to say about her venture.
Q1: Please tell us about your Venture?
A: The Gourmet Jar was started by me from my home kitchen in 2012, using real ingredients to make real food, real good. We aim to be the magic in your kitchen with our range of delectable condiments (preserves, honey, mustard, sauces, and savory spreads) in unique flavor combinations, made with 100% pure & natural ingredients, and 0% preservatives & chemicals. We follow a made-from-scratch, small-batch philosophy, that ensures every jar is packed with flavor. All our products are made with a lot of love, care & attention put in by our team of smiling & hard-working women who ensure you get the perfect balance of flavors in every jar! We source most of our ingredients from farmers across the country to ensure we use only the best quality of produce. After all, beautiful & honest ingredients make delicious food! Bring out the MasterChef in you with our range of condiments and delight your family & friends. Cooking gourmet food has never been this easy!
Q2: What inspired you to choose this industry?
A: My venture actually came about quite accidentally, so I would say the industry chose me rather than the other way around. A craving for a Banana Jam that I tasted on holiday in France led to experiments in the kitchen and eventually a demand for what i was making from friends & family made me recognize the gap in the Indian market when it came to artisanal, innovative and chemical-free preserves & condiments. I was always passionate about cooking and was looking to do something in the food space, and when this clicked, I thought i would try selling them and see the response. So I started with a Facebook page and luckily the response was amazing!
Q3: Do you really think that it is really tough to pursue your dreams and passions?
A: Nothing is really easy in this world, any path is full of ups and downs. It is definitely tough to pursue your dreams and create something successful, but if you love what you’re doing, then that makes it easier to get through the tough times. Even when you make your passion into your work, there are always parts of running a business that can be mundane and something that doesn’t interest you, but if you keep your eye on the bigger picture, it makes it easier to follow through on these mundane tasks as well. As long as you have the drive in you, you can make your dreams true.
Q4: What kind of problems did you face at the initial time with this venture?
A: I faced a lot of challenges in the initial stages, right from convincing a customer why they should pay so much for a natural product, to finding suppliers for the right jars and lids, to getting licenses and approvals. After the setting up stage, figuring out how to scale up while maintaining the consistency and quality was very challenging.
Q5: Tell us how to handle personal and professional front both?
A:When you run your own business, it’s very hard to balance personal and professional life…..the line is always blurry. But it is very important to take out some time for yourself otherwise you risk burning out. I try to balance both my switching off on Sundays and keep that day only for personal life. Also, I take several short holidays through the year to recharge and disconnect from work. Though you can never really turn your phone off as an entrepreneur, I would recommend that to those who can make that an option.
Q6: What are your future plans for The Gourmet Jar?
A: Future plans for TGJ are to launch new products within the condiments space and add to our portfolio. And also increase our offline penetration by opening new markets.
