Friends since childhood, Midhila Raavi and Akila Vankalapati bonded over their common love for food.
Midhila recalls, “We’ve loved exploring different cuisines and new food joints. We are obsessed with anything sweet and have spent countless hours talking about desserts and how we should start a brand through which we share our love for healthy gourmet desserts with the world.” That is how AkiMi’s Gourmet, which provides a range of healthy snacks to patrons in Chennai and Hyderabad, came to be.
Their dream took shape last year, when Akila had a baby and Midhila visited her. “My mother had made postpartum bites for me which both Midhila and I enjoyed,” recalls Akila, adding, “They provide nutrition for new mothers. We thought the concept of energy bites unique and something that was missing in our daily routine. We started experimenting with more recipes.”
Strawberry cake
The friends-turned business partners curated a short menu and months later, AkiMi’s Gourmet was born. On the menu, they have a wide range of energy bites, smoothies, cakes and cheat bites starting from ₹250. Packed in reusable cardboard boxes are varieties like dark chocolate, peanut butter and coco pistachio bites.
Akila adds, “We figured that we could satisfy our sweet cravings guilt-free. Through postpartum bites, we were introduced to the forgotten concept of energy bites. We tried new ones, tweaked existing ones and curated an elaborate energy bites menu that covers all essential nutrition. We also loved blending some healthy smoothies for breakfast.”
While Midhila manages the operations in Hyderabad, Akila does so in Chennai, where she resides. How difficult is it to juggle two kitchens from two cities? “Very easy,” reply the 30-year-olds almost in unison, and explain their business model. “We have spent weekends and vacations together, creating and curating our menu. We source ingredients locally and operate independently. We do meet up often to share our experiments/learnings/best practices. We in fact consider ourselves lucky to be based out of different cities as we can cater to a wider audience across cities.”
healthy snacks
Running a gourmet snacks business can be challenging, and Midhila admits they spend considerable time educating their customers about the difference between gourmet and regular food. She says, “Gourmet food is a premium, especially because of the quality of ingredients used and the elaborate process that ensures nutrition is intact. This is why we might be a bit expensive compared to the other processed and packed equivalents in the market.”
Akila adds, “We sometimes face difficulty in procuring ingredients as we have a ‘zero compromise’ policy on quality.”
Experimenting with recipes is another passion for the duo and depending on their mood and curiosity about something they ate, they also tweak their favourite desserts to make them healthier.
Akila shares that they are planning to introduce savoury and vegan options on their menu soon.
Reach AkiMi’s Gourmet in Hyderabad at 9347627899 and in Chennai at 7550282575 on WhatsApp. Find them on Instagram at @akimi_gourmet.
