There is no denying that the food and beverage industry has had to reinvent itself to the expectations of a post-pandemic world. With more people staying indoors and trying their hand at being gourmet chefs, food businesses have shifted focus as well. Delhi-based startup Delicut, which packages food made with the Sous Vide gourmet technique, is the perfect example of this.
“We wanted to transform the frozen foods industry with our one-of-a-kind offering-Sous Vide gourmet frozen meals. Currently, the market is dominated by marinated meats which require a thorough knowledge of cooking to achieve the desired product, Delicut ensures everyone cooking at home is able to make the finest artisanal dishes just like the ones from their favourite restaurants, in the comfort of their home without any hassle. All one needs to do is quickly thaw the meal and simply grill or sear it for about a minute on each side,” explains Tarun Arora, Founder and CEO of Delicut.
Arora felt the urge to bring something unique and unparalleled in the cluttered and unforgiving food and beverage market, especially after the pandemic struck. Therefore, he launched Delicut in December 2020. His vision was to keep developing FMCG premium quality gourmet products backed by extensive research in food tech to create a new product segment in the market.
Arora’s background in the hospitality sector helped him build his brand. He has prior experience of operating a hotel in Goa, as well as owning and operating two restaurants in Delhi called Chew – Pan Asian Cafe and Niche Lounge and Bistro. He claims to have always nurtured a passion for food and by working with seasoned professionals in the food and beverage industry, he was exposed to advanced artisanal techniques in modern age cooking. This knowledge allowed him to launch Delicut.
“We ensure that we use only the best quality ingredients, and our products go through several elaborate overnight processes of treating the protein with brines and marinades, followed by cooking with the ‘Sous Vide’ technique to absolute perfection,” he explains.
For those unfamiliar with the term, ‘Sous Vide’ is French for ‘cooking under vacuum’ and refers to an artisanal cooking method developed in the 1990s. The food is cooked in vacuum-sealed sous vide bags in a water bath machine, and each type of meat has its own times and temperatures. For example, a shank of lamb needs to be cooked at 173 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours to get the melt-in-your-mouth texture which is difficult to achieve by other cooking methods. Food prepared with Sous Vide technology is served across many restaurants and hotels but Delicut is the first to launch it in the packaged foods market. Even if you don’t plan to consume the meals directly, they can be stored in the freezer where they will remain fresh.
A self-funded company, Delicut operates on both fronts, B2C and B2B. Since they began, the company has been on an upward trajectory of 150% to 200% business growth monthly with an aggregate repeat purchase rate of 70% to 80%. Arora shares the reason for this success, “It is the uniqueness of our concept, where a person with no cooking experience can whip out a fancy artisanal meal for themselves in 10 to 12 minutes. From the freezer to the plate, faster, cheaper and fresher than a home delivery meal from a gourmet restaurant.”
Generating product awareness on how Sous Vide products are superior to other frozen and ready-to-eat options available on the market has been challenging for the team. However, those who try the products rate them highly, provide great product feedback and return frequently.
Food blogger Sahiba Gursahaney shares, “Delicut’s Pesto and Walnut Fish was so fresh, melt-in-the-mouth and flavourful! Loved it! The Herbed Butter Garlic Prawns were my favourite. Spicy with such a beautiful kick and such juicy prawns. Superb marination. Just take the prawns out of the packet, thaw them, and cook on a grill pan. As easy as that!”
Some of the best-selling offerings of the startup include Herb and Paprika Chicken Breasts, Bangkok style Chicken Satay, Herbed Butter Garlic Prawn Skewers and Herb and Paprika Cottage Cheese Steak, as well as Lemongrass and Thai chilli fish. Arora believes the meals are popular because they are extremely easy to prepare, healthy and offer an intense taste profile.
Delicut’s meals come packed with sauces that specifically complement each preparation such as the remoulade sauce for their patties. This sets them apart from others in the packaged food industry. Further, Arora believes that the in-depth research and development backing their ready-to-eat meals uplifts the overall flavour intensity while keeping a tab on all food safety standards. “The end result is exactly of the kind that people pay top dollar for at the fanciest of places, but they are getting it for a fraction of the cost,” beams Arora. This is perhaps why Delicut has witnessed substantial growth with people appreciating the concept.
Currently based out of Delhi, they aim to launch the brand pan-India before the end of 2021 and are working on increasing their product offerings from sauces, dips, marinades to gourmet cold cuts, vegan, and human-grade pet food for this purpose.
Delicut products can be delivered anywhere in Delhi-NCR within two hours through their e-commerce platform www.delicutfoods.com. They can also be bought from modern trade stores like Modern Bazaar, Le Marche, and The Taste, among others.
The writer pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.