If you are wondering what makes Holachef so awesome, here are some of the guys from our various teams who make it happen. Check out their exciting journey at the startup.
Sadhna Raj Kanoria (Marketing, Sales & Growth)
My journey at Holachef began in May 2014. Those were the early days of our startup and I took up responsibilities of the supply chain at Holachef. This is only a part of the story, as being with a small team and at an initial phase meant that I had to look into practically everything from customer care to delivery. Managing 80 chefs was the most challenging but at the same time, it was a task that helped me grow professionally. Watching the team scale from 4 members to a 100+ over a few months is a proud achievement and indicative of the crazy journey we are on. Eating and working evidently go hand in hand here and I absolutely love everything by Chef Shahzad and Chef Ramani.
Sahib Singh (Strategic Business Analytics)
I joined Holachef during the summer of 2015 as a part of the analytics team. My main responsibility here is to predict the demand and supply of dishes and help bring in new recipes that customers can try. The journey so far has been an interesting one with a lot of experimentation on food along the way. I love the friendly atmosphere here and I am proud to have over utilized all the bean bags and recliner chairs in office, apart from trying all possible dishes - the red velvet pastry being my all time favourite!
Abhilash Krishnan (Tech & Design)
My first day at Holachef was a complete flip over from my previous corporate work life - totally crazy, chaotic and food filled. And like everyone else, I am completely in love with this place where I have seen ideas become decisions and then goals within no time. The opportunity to debate, decide and execute things so quickly, motivates me the most here. The Star Wars campaign, for instance, was done overnight and our customers loved it. Also, an interesting custom I have started when we have guests over at home, is passing around the Holachef app on my phone and allowing each one to add his/her meal choice to the cart. I mostly end up adding the mouth watering bhindi platter by Chef Ravi Saha, one of our many awesome chefs.
Ragina Nair (Human Resources)
Like the chefs here, I too like experimenting with my food and go for some unique dishes on the menu everytime. Even though I am not a part of the food team, my journey so far has been really amazing in the company of some ardent foodies. My main task is to find appropriate people who would be a good fit for the organization, right from marketing to line cooks. I also make sure the excess food prepared by us does not go waste and finds its way to children and people at various NGO's. I am a total foodie and there couldn't have been a better place to be at, especially when my company offers me the luxury of maacher jhol (Katla fish) with steamed rice for lunch on several days!
Yash Bhatia (Foodie-Mentor-y)
In my current role within the supply team, my favourite part is getting to meet and work with a variety of food professionals from across Mumbai, apart from onboarding chefs that fit the Holachef mould. The opportunity to be around focused people, find solutions to continuous challenges and explore all kinds of cuisines is nothing less than a dream job. Not to forget, the delicious food tastings and all day eating that happens here. Opening our very own central kitchen and the first day spent there is definitely a memory that I cherish. Chef Nishant Pawar's lamb in oriental sauce is my favourite among all the amazing platters I gorge on at Holachef.
Shashwat Tripathi (Operations)
As a part of the operations team, it is my job to take care of fulfilment services and various daily processes that involve everything from the kitchen to delivery. From a handful of orders to managing thousands a day, it has been a roller coaster ride so far. Infact we have eaten, worked and slept at the same place for days and that shows our determination to live up to the food demands of the city. It is equally delightful to be managing too many things parallely. I don't need a morning alarm anymore and my WhatsApp chats are full of dispatch and delivery conversations. I must admit, Holachef has definitely increased our appetite and weight with awesome food all the time. Chef Ramani's dal chawal and Chef Rachna's drinks are on my list of favourites.
Samir Saxena (Operations)
It did not take much convincing on Saurabh's part when he told me about starting up Holachef and checked my interest. I take care of operations that chiefly involve ensuring that the food reaches the customer's doorstep on time. This includes a list of complicated processes that I may not be able to list in detail here, nevertheless, there have certainly been many sleepless nights spent, trying to get the processes in order. Starting out as a small team and having our very own central kitchen now, has been a proud achievement and an exciting journey so far. My favourite dinner picks include a simple preparation of dal and rice by Chef Ramani and Chef Nishant Pawar's lamb barbacoa.
Divya Singh (Foodie-Mentor-y)
My journey with Holachef has been a fun filled experience with memories and lessons to last me a lifetime. I am a part of the chef management team here, which basically means that I am in charge of communicating everything that is required of them on a daily basis. A proper communication channel between the chefs and the team is important to offer our customers the best menus on a daily basis and this is what I look forward to every day. Being a true foodie myself, I get to try delectable dishes and new recipes daily. Infact, the food here is so good that I remember ordering lasagna every other day and distributing my homemade tiffin in office. These days I have been relishing on malpuas by Chef A. Rajbhar.
Shweta Jha (Human Resources)
I was one of the first employees to join the HR department of Holachef and set up various systems in place. A customer-centric company full of brilliant and fervent people, we emphasise on experimentation here and offer everyone the freedom to be themselves. Apart from getting to interact closely with others and work in a startup environment, it is awesome to be surrounded by delicious food to try out all the time. Each one has their favourite chef and dish in office, and I am currently in awe of Chef Ravi Saha's murgh biryani platter and Chef Sandeep Harmalkar's honey chicken delicacy!
Saurabh Sharma (Foodie-Mentor-y)
When it comes to preparing an appetizing platter and tempting combos, menu planning is an important step and as a part of the food team, my job involves working on the daily menus. Keeping track of constantly changing preferences and introducing new varieties makes my work more fascinating. Food festivals are the best times here and it's exciting to find out appropriate dishes for each of these events while identifying the right chef who will prepare these dishes perfectly. Work is never dull for a moment, especially when desserts are so accessible, including my favourite moong dal halwa by Chef A. Rajbhar.
Read more about our smart, handsome, pretty and talented task force on the Holachef team page.
The author is your regular neighborhood granny. Loves cooking, feeding her friends and family, telling tales and reading children's books among others -- on her Kindle. She is comfortable with people her age, older than her and of course all youngsters right down to infants. And oh, she is in tune with the times too. She has seen the telegram transform into Twitter and telephone into WhatsApp. You could call her Gadget Granny Seeta, if you like. She loves saying that the tip of her tongue is in the fingers on her keyboard!