N EWS SCAN
‘Thai Pavilion’ Awarded Certificate of Authenticity
Nature's Basket Launches Plant-based Meat Category
‘Thai Pavilion’ is the country’s first and unarguably best loved Thai restaurant brand. Thai Pavilion at President, Mumbai - IHCL SeleQtions and Taj City Centre, Gurugram has been recognized by the Thai Consulate for their authentic Thai food. The Thai SELECT certification reinstates the brand’s commitment to offer original Thai cuisine to its patrons. A culinary landmark for gourmands, Thai Pavilion in M u m b a i i s a d o re d a c ro ss generations with its wellbalanced, sophisticated flavours and an extensive menu, which has been on the Indian fine dining scene since the 1990’s. With outposts at Taj City Centre, Gurugram and Vivanta Begumpet, Hyderabad, Thai Pavilion continues to be on must-do lists for connoisseurs. Thai SELECT is a mark of certification awarded by the Ministry of Commerce, the Royal Thai Government to guarantee the authentic taste of Thai food products and Thai restaurants in Thailand and overseas. Through a meticulously defined and transparent assessment criteria, the Thai SELECTcertification by the Department of International Trade Promotion certifies not only the food but also the hospitality and the ambience of the restaurant.
As reported, the Indian meat alternative market is estimated to reach USD 47.57 million in value terms by the end of 2026. The industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.46% between 2021 and 2026. Considering these stats and the continuously developing consumer demands favouring sustainable and eco-friendly products, Nature's Basket, part of RP-Sanjiv Goenka group, India's foremost retail destination for fine foods from around the world, has launched an entirely s e p a rate cate g o ry of Plant-Based Meat products. This new category caters to the changing lifestyle and growing needs of new-age consumers. Under this specific category, the brand has partnered with Blue Tribe Foods, India's leading plant-based meats brand. With the introduction of the plant-based category, the brand aims to walk hand-in-hand with the consumers. This category will house all the brands in the plant-based meat space, both Indian and International, including Blue Tribe and Beyond Meat, which was recently launched through the import route in India. Since its launch, Blue Tribe's plant-based Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Keema have already become a hit among non-vegetarian food lovers aspiring to commit to a greener lifestyle without compromising the taste, texture, or quality of conventional meat products. As a result, Nature's Basket will soon be launching more plant-based products under this category. Speaking on this occasion, Devendra Chawla, CEO, Nature's Basket and Spencer's Retail, said, "We firmly believe in adapting and evolving with the changing consumer landscape, and with the introduction of the plant-based meat product category we are doing exactly that. In the last few years, conscious consumerism has gradually picked pace. More and more products, brands, and new-age startups have started offering varieties with sustainability and eco-friendly factors as the center-stage." He added, "Through the plant-based meat category at Nature's Basket, we plan to assist the rapidly changing lifestyle of consumers. We've partnered with Blue Tribe's plant-based products to do this effectively, and it is already garnering impressive traction in Nature's Basket stores in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, and Kolkata. We will be adding a few more varieties under this category soon." Speaking about the latest development, the Co-founder of Blue Tribe, Sandeep Singh, said, "We are thrilled to partner with Nature's Basket who shares our vision to offer an adequate alternative to consumers looking for ecologically sound food items instead of over-meat consumption. It is a known fact that over consumption of animal-based products is a major contributor to the deteriorating environment conditions. We, at Blue Tribe, don't expect people to completely leave meat consumption or eat only vegetables, but in fact choose equally tasty, nutritious and greener plant-based meat products like our Plant Based Chicken Nuggets and Plant Based Chicken Keema."
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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
Aug-Sept ’21
