Food contractors adapt to pandemic as virtual parties become flavour of the season

Food prepared for a birthday celebration or a death anniversary is now served to the relatives and friends at doorsteps and the event is also being conducted online. Perambur and Periamet, happening places for biriyani and non-veg platters, are now adapting to this new concept, industry sources said.

“Packs and parcels are being customised with pictures of families and greeting cards, adding that spark to events. Caterers in Chennai have started adapting to the new changes,” said Premila Preston, proprietor, Premy’s Kitchen. She operates in parts of central Chennai.

The concept of outdoor catering is huge with high costs. “We can cook and serve a minimum of one kilo food and this was a hit during the first wave. When all the other kitchens and restaurants started closing, we managed to retain 40% of our customers and now we are confident of making virtual parties a hit even if there is another wave,” Premila said.

During the lockdown, despite staying at homes, people still wanted to try different cuisines like pork, turkey, duck and lamb, so we started taking such orders at micro-levels, catering to small groups ranging up to 50 members. If a customer books two kg biriyani and one kilo cooked fish for his friends or relatives, we reach out to all the invitees and deliver the food to them along with the customised greetings designed at our end, adds Premila.

“The concept of big functions has narrowed down and now the maximum cooking facility is restricted to a few hundreds. To ensure that business is operated through customised cooking is encouraged, where home deliveries are done by private kitchens. But Corporation officials and field staff are creating a tough time for hotel and fast food owners. We are trying to adapt to this pandemic and it is tough with these new covid regulations,” said Fayaz, owner of Fayaz Biriyani outlet in Perambur.