She was always on the lookout to do something interesting. It was only a matter of time before engineer Hema Mahesh decided to turn entrepreneur by creating and selling natural jams and preserves, among other food items.
Hema says, “The book Food Rules: An Eaters Manual by Michael Pollan changed my life. It was an eye-opener . I started looking at all the ingredients in purchased food that we normally ignore - additives, preservatives, gelling agents, etc. Not many of us know what a permitted food colour is, or what an acidifier is made of. That made me question what I bought for my family, and in that process, I realised a dearth in the market for natural goodness. I wanted to do something about it. My husband and my friends encouraged me and Nature in a Bottle (natureinabottle.in) was born in 2011.”
Hema aims to bring out the lost connection between the food on the plate and where it came from. The ingredients I use are what everybody understands. I try to make the end result exclusive by how I put it together.” Since she prefers her food a little spicy, she selects flavours which are sweet and spicy. The strawberry jalapeno jam, chipotle chilly salsa, kiwi and jalapeno, jam and prune pickle are some of her biggest hits.
Hema has made about 30 different flavours of jams . “I keep updating my Facebook page with the flavours of the month. Social media has played a big part in giving my company a name and getting me connected to people who appreciate good, wholesome food,” she says.
This food connoisseur also makes gift boxes for special occasions with offerings like plum and rum jam.
She has also branched out into making traditional Bundt cakes with fruits and spices with less icing and deep in flavour. The lime poppy Bundt and ginger and spices cakes are also hot favourites.
Hema says “I believe our previous generations knew the art of making food rather than engineering it. I’d go the natural way any day. For example, I would use fresh lemon juice rather than using citric acid crystals, and these are some of the things that set my venture apart.”
On her entrepreneurial experience , she says, “I do not think making anything in the kitchen was ever difficult for me. When you love what you do, what you do is not work. I have not been professionally trained to make any of these products. Thanks to the variety of books and the internet, learning is not a problem anymore.”
According to Hema, “Making creative, tasty products free of artificial preservatives calls for innovation, and that is a challenge which I love . But getting the job done and managing two kids is the real challenge.”
In the near future, she plans to make her products available in supermarkets and online stores. “I want to setup a farm and grow some of the ingredients . I am about to release a whole new range of gift hampers for Christmas, which will have a special Christmas sauce made from cranberries, as well as a salted caramel sauce.”
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track
