There was a time when our fiery fish curries used to be cooked only in earthen pots. But for several years now, earthenware has been largely relegated to the showcase or exhibited as antiques. Sreedevi Padmajam hopes to change that and restore the lost glory of mud with her recently opened Organo Gram, a boutique for pottery and chemical-free food products, at Nanthancode.
“Earthenware has always been a part of mankind and is proven to have a lot of advantages over vessels made of other materials. Apart from health benefits, the food itself would taste better when cooked in mud vessels,” says Sreedevi. Shopping for earthenware, especially on trips, have been a hobby of Sreedevi’s for a while and it was in January that she launched an online store for earthenware by the same name.
The response, she says, was great and customers began asking where her store was. “At the end of the day, one needs to hold a vessel in your own hands and feel it before buying it. Also, we couldn’t find any other shop that sells only earthenware,” adds Sreedevi.
The small store on YMR road is on the first floor of Sen Business Centre. Mud flower vases and stools are displayed on the sunshade in front of the shop. Inside, earthenware of different shapes and sizes adorn glass racks on the wall.
Earthenwares at Organo Gram
From the ubiquitous wide-mouthed clay pot to cook fish to designer mud-casseroles, Organo Gram offers a variety of hand-picked earthenware. While a majority of the items on display are handmade, there are a few that are machine-made that looks slicker than the rest.
“They are collected from all over Kerala. For instance, most of the pots for the kitchen are from Kasaragod and Thrissur. We make sure that the vessels are bought from those who don’t use any kind of hazardous chemicals while making them,” explains Sreedevi. So whether it is a thali set made in Gujarat or water containers with brass taps made in Ernakulam, Organo Gram promises the best of the best for customers.
Pottery is a dying art and Sreedevi believes ventures like this would help a lot in its survival.
“Middlemen are the ones who make the most out of this business. Here I am getting it directly from the potters and that helps them earn more out of their work,” she says.
Apart from the earthenware, Organo Gram sells a handful of organic products too, such as honey, spices and coconut oil — all in glass bottles.
Sreedevi Padmajam
While the honey is from Sreedevi’s friend’s farm in Kannur, the spices come from the ancestral homes of her husband, Prashant Kumar, in Kottayam and Idukki.
“Coconut products, including oil, sugar and vinegar among other items, are all sourced from Palakkad Coconut Producers Company Limited, a venture of coconut farmers from the district,” points out Sreedevi.
Organo Gram is open on all days from 10.30 am to 8.30 pm. The rates of products range from ₹100 to ₹1,500. Contact 9497019105.
