A pop of  flavours

CHENNAI : Watching a movie is incomplete without munching on a tub of popcorn. Ankit Ostwal (27) and Dinesh Surana (42) have taken it a step further by starting Popcorn Poppers, which makes gourmet varieties of popcorn.This four-year-old company makes eight flavours of popcorn — cheddar cheese, surprising tomato, jalepeno, Chinese, sour cream and onion, caramel, chocolate, and strawberry. They also make single-flavoured cheese balls. “The credit for the company’s progress goes to Dinesh. He comes from a family of businessmen and he had the right ideas. Our motto is ‘quality first’ and that has helped us carve a niche,” says Ankit, adding that their vision is to supply ready-to-eat popcorn throughout India.

During their travels, the duo came across gourmet popcorns in many countries which were sold in kiosks. They decided to introduce it in India. These popcorns are made in the traditional method and they have their own recipe. “We are working to break the myth that popcorns are made only for theatres. In terms of health and taste, popcorn is the best snack. We believe that you get good popcorn with the careful combination of flavours and maize,” shares Ankit.

All the flavours have been made keeping the customers’ interest in mind. But they have also faced many obstacles. “The main problem we faced was with respect to packing. You can enjoy the popcorn only when it is crisp. We initially followed pillow packaging but then switched to containers, which turned out to be the best. We don’t add any preservatives to increase shelf life,” he explains.

Though social media marketing has got them many customers, Popcorn Poppers have recently started in-shop promotions in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Bengaluru, Aligarh, Mumbai, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. These popcorns are now available in leading supermarkets in the city.“Reviews have helped us improve our production. It helps us understand customers’ preference. Right now, caramel, cheddar cheese, sour cream and onion, and chocolate are fast moving. My personal favourite is Jalapeno,” he says adding that they are planning to introduce many new and exciting flavours in the future.