The pandemic has confined us all inside homes, shutting out options of eating outside and leaving people craving restaurant-style food. Moreover, long working hours and daily household chores consume most of the day; therefore, many people don't get time to cook exquisite meals, no matter how much they crave it. Hyderabad-based startup Quikish makes it easier to cook healthy and delicious meals in your kitchen with its all-inclusive pouches. All you just have to do is empty the contents into a pan and cook for around 20 minutes to have a restaurant-style meal.

Founded by Akshay Puljal, Hrishikesh Raj Saxena, Narendra Challa, and Prashant Pai, Quikish is one of India's premium easy-to-cook food brands. It offers a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, which you can cook with complete ease from the comfort of your kitchen. Speaking of the company, Akshay Puljal, chief executive officer, Quikish, says, "Quikish offers quick yet, fresh, delicious and convenient meals that can be prepared in just 15-20 mins. It gives you an option to cook hot meals anytime you want in the safety of your home. Moreover, our dishes are healthy as they are free from any added preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors."

Direct-to-consumer brand

Quikish has more than 40 dishes on its menu, including starters and curries in vegetarian and non-vegetarian segments, such as Paneer Tikka, Dum Aloo Kashmiri, Paneer Makhanwala, Chicken Tikka, Hariyali Murgh Tikka, Lemon and Garlic Wings, Fish Tikka, and many others. The brand has marked its presence in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Goa, and Pune.

Quikish is a direct-to-consumer brand. Consumers can order their favorite dishes via Quikish App or its website. The orders get delivered to their doorstep based on their chosen date and time. Other city orders are delivered via a flight in temperature-controlled boxes with data loggers that help track any temperature variation until the last mile delivery.

Farm-to-fork model

Puljal states that Quikish procures the finest of ingredients from FSSAI approved vendors to ensure safety. The products are manufactured in a state-of-the-art production facility at Hyderabad that is built as per FSSAI and FSSC standards. The production unit with a production capacity of 2500 products daily per day has separate zones to manufacture vegetarian, meat and poultry, seafood, and marinades to avoid mixing. Further, the meal packets are nitrogen flushed or vacuum packed for safe delivery to ensure the utmost safety.

He adds, "We believe in providing highest quality products with no adulteration; therefore, we follow the farm to fork model. We source all ingredients and spices from the farm in its whole form. All ingredients are then processed in-house to make masala blends or pastes. These marinades are then mixed with proteins or vegetables and hygienically vacuum-packed and stored at 0° to maintain product quality at its best. All products are delivered on the same day they are packed for optimum freshness."

R&D and innovation

Quikish has a dedicated R&D team for new product launches. The brand entered the market with Indian cuisine and is now ready to launch more than 15 continental dishes in the upcoming months. "We are constantly testing with and trying out new technologies in processing, packaging, and logistics to extend the shelf life of our products while maintaining the same freshness and taste."

The brand has just begun institutional sales to support the HORECA sector. He adds, "We have received multiple queries from players in this industry. Due to the pandemic, there is a tremendous shortage of trained chefs. Our pre-marinated meats and vegetables are a perfect solution for those affected."

"Our future road map includes a new production facility in Delhi NCR to cater to more cities in the northern part of India. We also have plans to start international operations in FY22," concludes Puljal.