That’s just nuts!

Founders Supriya Phulwani and Tena Mengi launched the venture last year. Pic/Atul Kamble

Few jobs pay as handsomely as those in the financial services, but the work may not always be creatively fulfilling. It's a realisation that financial consultant Tena Mengi came to grips with over a period of time. "Food has been my escape from the mundane," admits Tengi, as she recollects how she would often team up with close friend and multicuisine chef Supriya Phulwani during her kitchen experiments. "We'd watch cookery shows and videos and try out the recipes. The feedback we'd receive from friends and family was always encouraging. And then, a friend suggested that we start a business around food," says Mengi.

Last year, the duo launched Flavors by Tesu that offers a range of healthy, homemade snacking items, including immunity-boosting laddoos, granola bars, nougat, caramel discs and brittles. These come in the form of curated hampers. The products are prepared at their 1,500 sq ft kitchen in Chembur, where they have hired a female staff to assist them in the sorting and packaging. While Phulwani looks after the production, Mengi manages the marketing. "We wanted to make sure what we offer is not something that's not already available in the market," says Phulwani, who has been in catering since 2017.

The easiest way to stay healthy is to have healthy options available. One of their bestsellers is the seedilicious, made with a mix of seeds, including sunflower, flax, cucumber, melon, papaya and sesame. To this, they add a generous dose of cashew, pistachio, almond, dry cranberries and rose petals. "Ten ingredients go into making this with just one spoon of sugar. We create 15 small sheets in one batch," she explains. The paan balls are prepared using fresh betel leaves, rose petal jam and a homemade masala blend, which makes for a healthy post meal treat. According to Mengi, the oats and cranberry laddoos are another favourite, given that they age sugar-free and packed with dry fruit. Every product on the range has a shelf life of 20 days without refrigeration, provided you store it in a cool, dry place.
The prices start from Rs 350 onward. Phulwani, who loves to experiment with ingredients, recently rolled out the rosemary and hazelnut Florentine. It's a looney combination, but one that is flavourful and drawing a lot of attention globally, she shares. "In India, we don't see as much rosemary being used, which prompted me to try it out."

Seedilicious

Currently, the founders are focusing on corporate gifting and hampers. "Right now, the world is interested in building immunity, brain and energy boosting, and upping vitality. And it's what we want to offer through these snacks where we've worked hard to preserve every bit of nutrition and goodness," says Phulwani.