How startup 48East is bringing Asian delicacies straight to your home
, ET Bureau|
Oct 23, 2017, 06.30 AM IST
Joseph Cherian spent most of his professional life working in the food sector in countries across Asia. In the process, he got introduced to a diverse range of Asian cuisines.
But when Cherian came to India— taste buds all tickled with Asian gastronomic delights—he found Asian cuisines weren’t readily available in the country. “During my stay in India, I wanted gourmet Asian food home delivered. But my options were limited to Indo-Chinese dishes and Thai green or red curry,” says Cherian.
The only way out for connoisseurs of Asian dishes was to go to high-end restaurants. “But that was neither affordable nor available to the common folks,” says Cherian, a Harvard Business School alumnus. There was clearly a problem. And Cherian, along with his friend Nabhojit Ghosh, decided to solve it. “Nabhojit and I shared the same thoughts on the limited availability of quality Asian cuisines. We decided to bridge this need gap by starting our own culinary business,” says Cherian, 42.
Thus was born 48East. This Bengaluru-based food startup, which started operations in August 2016, delivers Asian gourmet food on demand at people’s doorsteps. The number 48 represents the 48 countries that constitute Asia. “Our range of food stretches from the ancient civilizations of China and India, to the colourful delicacies of West Asia; and from the light flavours of South-East Asia to the exotic delicacies of the far East,” says Cherian, Co-founder and CEO.
48East has 50 in-house chefs who curate the food experience from various Asian countries, tinkering it to suit the Indian palate, without compromising its authenticity. Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Turkey, India, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia and Japan are some of the countries whose delicacies are part of 48East’s offerings. The startup, which operates out of five kitchens in Bengaluru, changes its menu each week. One of the main challenges the founders initially faced was replicating at home the experience of eating gourmet Asian food at a fine dining restaurant. “Dishes like dim-sums don’t travel well and, ideally, should be consumed on the spot. However, we have been able to overcome such issues, without compromising on food quality and taste,” says Cherian.
The founders’ experience in the food industry helped them combine the quick-service restaurant model, fine dining and smart packaging to overcome quality-related challenges. “We use packaging that separates the various meal contents and our ingredient composition ensures that all items retains their texture, taste, look and feel. Adjustments in cooking techniques have helped,” says Cherian. Founded with an investment of Rs 1 crore, put in by the founders, 48East received Rs 1.5 crore in Angel funding from Agra-based ACPL exports and Rs 3.5 crore in funding from UAEbased Al Dhaheri family in January 2017. Funds have helped the company improve its logistics, technology and marketing operations.
The startup’s revenue has been impressive. For 2016-17, (with just about six months in operation) it generated Rs 1.2 crore. “We will grow seven-folds in 2017-18,” says Cherian. 48East, which aims to penetrate every Bengaluru neighbourhood by mid-2018, views maintaining food quality, consistency and innovation as a key challenge as it expands its business. “To achieve this, we will have to source high quality chefs and train them in 48 East’s way of cooking and delivery,” says Cherian. The startup is working on building strong systems and processes, among other things, to mitigate this challenge.
But when Cherian came to India— taste buds all tickled with Asian gastronomic delights—he found Asian cuisines weren’t readily available in the country. “During my stay in India, I wanted gourmet Asian food home delivered. But my options were limited to Indo-Chinese dishes and Thai green or red curry,” says Cherian.
The only way out for connoisseurs of Asian dishes was to go to high-end restaurants. “But that was neither affordable nor available to the common folks,” says Cherian, a Harvard Business School alumnus. There was clearly a problem. And Cherian, along with his friend Nabhojit Ghosh, decided to solve it. “Nabhojit and I shared the same thoughts on the limited availability of quality Asian cuisines. We decided to bridge this need gap by starting our own culinary business,” says Cherian, 42.
Thus was born 48East. This Bengaluru-based food startup, which started operations in August 2016, delivers Asian gourmet food on demand at people’s doorsteps. The number 48 represents the 48 countries that constitute Asia. “Our range of food stretches from the ancient civilizations of China and India, to the colourful delicacies of West Asia; and from the light flavours of South-East Asia to the exotic delicacies of the far East,” says Cherian, Co-founder and CEO.
48East has 50 in-house chefs who curate the food experience from various Asian countries, tinkering it to suit the Indian palate, without compromising its authenticity. Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Turkey, India, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia and Japan are some of the countries whose delicacies are part of 48East’s offerings. The startup, which operates out of five kitchens in Bengaluru, changes its menu each week. One of the main challenges the founders initially faced was replicating at home the experience of eating gourmet Asian food at a fine dining restaurant. “Dishes like dim-sums don’t travel well and, ideally, should be consumed on the spot. However, we have been able to overcome such issues, without compromising on food quality and taste,” says Cherian.
The founders’ experience in the food industry helped them combine the quick-service restaurant model, fine dining and smart packaging to overcome quality-related challenges. “We use packaging that separates the various meal contents and our ingredient composition ensures that all items retains their texture, taste, look and feel. Adjustments in cooking techniques have helped,” says Cherian. Founded with an investment of Rs 1 crore, put in by the founders, 48East received Rs 1.5 crore in Angel funding from Agra-based ACPL exports and Rs 3.5 crore in funding from UAEbased Al Dhaheri family in January 2017. Funds have helped the company improve its logistics, technology and marketing operations.
The startup’s revenue has been impressive. For 2016-17, (with just about six months in operation) it generated Rs 1.2 crore. “We will grow seven-folds in 2017-18,” says Cherian. 48East, which aims to penetrate every Bengaluru neighbourhood by mid-2018, views maintaining food quality, consistency and innovation as a key challenge as it expands its business. “To achieve this, we will have to source high quality chefs and train them in 48 East’s way of cooking and delivery,” says Cherian. The startup is working on building strong systems and processes, among other things, to mitigate this challenge.
