Since the spread of the pandemic, the Indian tour, travel, and hospitality industry has witnessed drastic disruptions. Chairman of Claridges Group of Hotels, Suresh Nanda talks about how the Indian food sector is going through a rapid transformation owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the beginning of the pandemic and imposition of restrictions on movement, the hospitality, and allied industries have witnessed severe rapid transformations. With health and safety taking first place in our lives, it has impacted our eating habits paving the way for alterations in how the food industry works. While we used to love going out to have meals at our favorite restaurants, now we prefer enjoying our lip-smacking dishes at home. Hence, food delivery is what has witnessed a boom since the beginning of the pandemic.
While commenting on the issue, Suresh Nanda, says, “As Indians, we always have had the culture of eating at cheap neighborhood joints and street food because they are seemingly tastier and more importantly, cheaper than plush fine dining restaurants, completely overlooking its safety. However, the pandemic outbreak has engendered concerns towards restaurants’ sanitation and hygiene.”
“Therefore, gastronomes, who have always been thrifty may now become warier of hygiene and quality than anything else. From Indian, Chinese to continental, the number of eateries is plethoric in any metropolis and hence, gourmets will never fall short of fine-dine options,” he adds.
As Nanda mentioned, people might choose hygiene over other behaviors owing to the fear of getting infected. He also mentioned how hotels like The Claridges, New Delhi have always preferred offering quality, hygiene, and taste to their consumers. Take the example of the Dhaba at The Claridges, New Delhi, it is known for offering authentic Indian delights while keeping in mind the health and hygiene of the consumers. Interestingly, the customers have trusted the brand and it continues to attract gastronomers all along.
While the pandemic has helped taking food delivery reaching a quantum leap, it will be interesting to see what way does high-end restaurants will cope up with such a severe situation when lockdowns keep happening and many people still choose to order food at home than dining out.
