When a foodie thinks of starting a new venture, you can be sure that he is going to serve up some lip smacking stuff! That was certainly the case with 25-year-old Sudheer Grover, who after getting his Bachelor’s in Management Studies from Jai Hind College, Mumbai thought of launching his brand Paletaz. “I worked with my father’s business for a year before I thought of starting out on my own,” says the enterprising youngster.
So how did he think of introducing such a product to the Indian market? “Paletas are very famous in Mexico. I had already tried these abroad before starting my own brand. I have done intense research to master the art of making these gourmet popsicles,” informs Grover, who, as part of his research took several online courses to master the craft. What’s more, it was a process of trial and error as well as a test of the taste-buds to create the perfect proportions to make the right product.
The popsicles Grover talks about are handcrafted with fresh ingredients. Some of them are sourced locally, while others are imported from different countries. The unique selling point of his paletas is that they are 100 per cent natural. “These are vegetarian popsicles and do not contain any artificial colours, flavours, substitutes or preservatives,” he says, confidently.
When Grover first launched the product, he was sceptical about introducing a relatively expensive popsicle (ranging from Rs.40 to Rs.90) in the market. All he wanted to do was showcase the product in his store Aloha in Bandra, where he used to sell Tropical Sno (a cup of shaved ice with your choice of flavours). Brazil nuts, imported chocolate, berries, fresh fruits and French cream cheese are just a few of the ingredients that make up these delights. He’s got some very interesting combinations like apple cinnamon and rosemary; pear and guava; blackberry ice tea; chocolate and nuts with rice crispies to name a few. Needless to say, in a city where the youth are just waiting to sample any new and unique food product, the paletas were a huge hit. Today, he does party orders, and is thinking of going the retail route as well!
Crediting his success to the support from friends and family, Grover says the company is in the process of re-branding and expansion, with the addition of new products. His new venture will also see a new partner for the business, a person who has been very active with Aloha, Pallavi Kuchroo. All we can say is that this is the new way to stay chilled!
The unique selling point of the paletas is that they are 100 per cent natural, using fresh ingredients, ranging from fruits to Brazilian nuts
Volume 1 Issue 11
