Kebabs have been ruling the roost as one of the most popular dishes in the Indian subcontinent as well as abroad. As a professionally trained chef who has worked in some of the leading hotels all over the world, Meghna Jaswal Mohan feels kebabs are emerging as major fast-food options globally. Meghna launched her dream venture, The Kebabsmith, in August last year in Singapore, a place where she currently lives. At The Kebabsmith, you get carefully crafted frozen kebabs that are tasty, healthy and easily available for a quick bite.
Meghna aims to carve a global presence with her kebabs and strives to make her brand a household name among foodies worldwide.
When love for food transcends everything else
Before launching The Kebabsmith, Meghna had worked extensively in the hotel industry in both India and the USA, establishing herself as a seasoned chef. In fact, her journey as a chef began with her training in the Taj Hotels, India. Before moving to Singapore, Meghna ran two successful food businesses in India. She deftly handled large-scale corporate catering with over 3000 meals going out every day. After moving here, she realized that the frozen food industry was growing rapidly. With the large cosmopolitan population here, there was also a demand for good quality frozen kebabs. Thus, The Kebabsmith was born out of her simple desire to make delicious food and share it with people around her.
Initially it began as a home-based business during the pandemic. Meghna reasons “It wasn’t possible to find a commercial space at that time and I was just testing the market.” Moreover, the pandemic created a shortage of frozen kebabs from India. A lot of people were craving that familiar taste of lip-smacking frozen kebabs but options were limited.
But as business at The Kebabsmith started picking up, Meghna opened a commercial space, started a food factory and there has been no looking back ever since. Before diving into the venture, the talented chef attended food preservation and food technology courses to train herself on extending product shelf life without adding preservatives.
Frozen food that doesn’t taste frozen
The Kebabsmith offers a wide assortment of delectable appetizers ranging from shami kebabs, seekh kebabs, tangdi kebabs to soft chicken koftas and burger patties and so much more. The company stands out for its preservative-free, yummy frozen kebabs that are made in SFA-approved food processing kitchens following strict guidelines.
Freezing is one of the oldest and most effective ways of preserving food without using preservatives. At The Kebabsmith, the technique is taken a notch higher by introducing blast freezing. Meghna elaborates “We don’t use any artificial flavors or MSG. After our food is prepared with the best quality ingredients, they are blast frozen to -40 degrees. This technique drastically reduces bacteria growth, prevents cells in the food from forming large crystals, thus maintaining a fresh taste when cooked and preserving all nutrients.”
Moreover, the Kebabsmith busts the myth that kebabs are only for non-vegetarians. There’s something for everyone out there. Vegetarians would be delighted to try out Kathal (Jackfruit) kebabs, Kacche Kele ke kebab (Raw banana cutlets), Veggie burger patties, spinach and corn kebabs and many more.
Kebabsmith’s journey in a nutshell
Creating a new brand in a foreign country is quite a challenging task. Especially when you need to familiarize the non-Indian population with a whole range of new products and convince them to cook these dishes at home. It takes a different level of focus, conviction, and marketing skill to pull in the crowd. Moreover, Meghna had to overcome the manpower issue of finding skilled labor in the hotel and in the food business. And of course, the high rental prices.
Despite the challenges, the venture has garnered a lot of appreciation from food lovers in Singapore. The Kebabsmith boasts a 75% repeat customer rate with customers coming back to order those yummy dishes. Having sold thousands of packets till date, The Kebabsmith is on its way to becoming a prominent culinary player in Singapore.
Before signing off, Meghna talks about how she envisions the future of The Kebabsmith to be. “I want to see it achieve greater heights. I would like to see my products in supermarkets around the world”.
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