Food for thought: Tushar Parekh of The Grannary shares the thought behind a snack brand for millennial India

Excelus MD Tushar Parekh on how The Grannary is filling a void in the market for gourmet snacks with tongue-tingling flavours.

The taste buds of Indian consumers are rapidly evolving and to ensure these palates are satiated, The Grannary offers a wide range of interesting snacks. Tushar Parekh, MD, Excelus, which owns The Grannary, shares what the premium snack brand has to offer.

How did the idea of The Grannary germinate and how has it transformed over time?
We were doing contract manufacturing for large multinationals in India for six years, and had access to a lot of technology and global research, and we leveraged that. It took us two years to come up with a product that we thought fit the sweet spot of a really tasty snack. What we didn't want to compromise on was the taste.



A snack is an indulgence and consumers want something that tickles their taste buds. Also, we took away things that we felt weren't needed to have a great tasting product.

We removed ingredients that are difficult to comprehend. We made sure there was less of the stuff we don't need - fat or oil, preservatives - and added things that were great, like the best ingredients available. When you touch our product, we guarantee there won't be any greasy hands.

What are Indian consumers looking for in premium snacks?
Consumer taste is evolving faster than before. The reason multi-cuisines are flourishing in India is because well-travelled consumers want international flavours and options available here as well.

In the premium snacking space, we are seeing a lot of interest because people are tired of eating the same four flavours. What we are trying to do is expand the gourmet options for Indian consumers.

Has the Indian consumer finally arrived on the global food scene?
Absolutely. They are very picky as well. A lot of them travel abroad with the agenda of sampling food. In The Grannary, we were very clear we didn't want to do the flavours that were already available in India. We wanted to create new experiences. We have roasted sweet onion and rosemary. It tastes like nothing that you have tried before. These are flavours that will linger on your palate and you can savour them.