Is your furry friend tired of the same dog food? Is your pet fond of what is on your plate rather than what is in his? Do you want your dog to be excited when you put food in his bowl? Then it is time you give your dog a real meal from one of India’s first canine chefs. Ishmeet Chandiok is not only one of the first to launch a wet dog food line called Harley’s Corner, but also an expert on food that appeals to dogs.
Ishmeet gets candid on how to ensure our pooches get a gourmet food experience. The genial giant, wears a tee that says pets are people too, which is further proof that he loves to be called the dog chef. “It is my social media identity. I am happier cooking for dogs than humans. Humans always have something to complain about after a meal. Not dogs. They polish off the meal and sit beside you waiting for their next meal. They are no-nonsense, loyal customers,” he laughs.
The co-founder of Harley’s Corner, Ishmeet, with his wife and pet Harley, have been working at bringing about a change in the feeding habits of dogs.
Bengaluru beckons
A project that started in Mumbai, Harley’s Corner is soon opening doors in Bengaluru following Ishmeet’s recent shift to the Garden City. Although he has been “a Mumbai boy all my life,” Ishmeet says the move to Bengaluru was a long time coming. “I love dogs, food and bikes. That is why the first dog I adopted is called Harley, after the bike. Being in the hospitality industry, I worked towards my passions. I felt Mumbai was too fast for me. I wanted to live life and slow down. I have been visiting Bengaluru on and off for hospitality projects and contemplating moving out of Mumbai. I was entering my 40th year and people say 40 is the new 20s. So I made the move and am living Life version 2.0 now. I love the city, the weather and the fact that life here is slower than Mumbai.”
His fondness for furry friends goes back to childhood, Ishmeet recalls. “I have been around pets for a long time. Dad was a Sikh and mum, a Parsi, so I have had the best of both worlds , as far as food and wit is concerned,” he laughs and adds: “They both had pets, so I grew up with a soft corner for dogs.”
An alumni of the Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai, Ishmeet has worked with brands like the Hyatt, JW Marriott and Kingfisher Airlines. It was during his tenure with Kingfisher that he met Harley and his life changed for the better. “We adopted him from a construction site. He was part of a litter of six pups and the naughtiest of the lot. Whenever we visited the site, he was the first to come greet and play. We didn’t choose him, Harley chose us.”
A meal deal
Ishmeet continues: “My wife, Nicola Loyola Chandiok and I are catering college graduates. At home, food was always interesting with two trained chefs. After eating his food, Harley would wait for leftovers. That is when I wondered how long he was going to be eating dry food. I did some research and used my culinary skills to put together a meal for him. He wolfed it down and soon didn’t want anything else other than what I cooked. This food excited him.”
Living in a pet-friendly society in Mumbai, Ishmeet started handing out little boxes of extra dog food to neighbours with pets to try out. “It was a hit and eventually, they all wanted a full meal and asked me to market it as a buyable product. That is how one of India’s first ready-to-eat wet dog food brand was born.”
Doggie-certified
Harley is the CTO (Chief Tasting Officer) of the company. “If he eats it, it goes into production. I put a small menu together. At one point, I was known as ‘Bombay’s Doggie Dabbawalla’. I used the dabbawallas to deliver food daily. Once I hit a larger number, I knew I couldn’t do this from home. That’s when I looked at packaged food. Now my products have a shelf life of one year with no preservatives or additives and can be shipped. I’ve done no advertising whatsoever. It has been only word of mouth.”
Ishmeet points out that “it is a business done from the heart. All ingredients are human grade. Any pet parent can feel free to sample this food. Every batch is tested. It is made in a human food processing plant and is made keeping the utmost levels of hygiene and quality in mind. If I don’t serve it to Harley, I won’t serve it at all.”
The food is available on a subscription model. “A discerning pet parent will know the benefits. First you can try it out based on the age and the size of the dog. If your dog likes it and consistently eats it for a week, you can go for it. Dogs on a home-styled diet live, on an average, over 32 months longer than dogs on dry food. Fresh food is better than commercial food. While human life has improved and lengthened, canine life has decreased and it is because of unhealthy food.”
In future, Ishmeet is looking for investment so he can launch pour-over sauces and bring out a range of therapeutic dog food along with cat food mixes and treats. The canine chef also wants to launch a low-cost meal for strays.
“We usually end up giving them biscuits, but they are loaded with sugar and the dogs end up with mange. I want to develop a dehydrated mix in a small bowl with a sealed top. When you see a stray, all you need to do is peel open the top and pour water to hydrate the food in a few minutes and serve. You can store it in the back of your car. It has a shelf life, doesn’t leak or spoil.”
Visit www.harleyscorner.in for more details.
