Bringing Their Soul to YOUR Platter!

Cooking up an authentic meal and curating an inimitable experience, Bawarchi Cucina pop-ups and events are replete with feisty flavours, tantalising cuisines, new faces and of course awesome taste. From sit-down dinners to brunches; from serving authentic cuisines to discovering new modern Indian dishes … Unnati Gupta and her team curate exquisite food experiences for their patrons

Meet Unnati Gupta born in the national capital of Awadhi cuisine and flavours who is of the opinion that the smell of fragrant kebabs runs in her blood.Unnati initially aspired to be a fashion designer but that ‘aspiration’ changed with three major incidents –the first one being when she cooked Biryani for a family get-together and everyone went crazy and wiped the plate clean of each single morsel;the second one was when her mother enrolled her in a cake-icing competition just for fun’s sake and she went on to win the second prize; and the last was when she missed her date with the NIFT entrance exam.

They say life sends you signals … perhaps it was these three incidents which portended that Unnati was cut out to floor the food segment.

 

She embarked on her professional career with The Oberoi Group at The Trident Udaipur; she started off here as a trainee where she learnt the art of being a chef - which involved not just cooking the finest food but handling the extreme pressure and atmosphere of a kitchen which daily served hundreds of guests. Post completion of her internship her desire to explore stand-alone kitchens led her to Olive Bar and Kitchen Delhi. Unnati enthuses “I believe food is not just about colours and flavours but about stories and memories and this is what I wanted to highlight in my work.Creating a community and platform for people to explore flavours and a manifesto to bond over food was my goal. After months of planning and organising …the first pop-up dinner came into my life in May 2019 which marked the inception of my brand ‘BawarchiCucina’.”

This was how the culture of monthly pop-ups and boutique catering started and as her chosen field is quite niche it provides Unnati with incessant learning; as she is exposed to something new practically on a daily basis. So this was how she moved from being a baker to a Garde Manger and SautéChef! Today this spunky young lady has a seven-and-a-half-year industry experience under her belt!

 

On another note, the meaning of the brand name is quite interesting - while Bawarchi is a Hindi word for Chef; Cucina is an Italian term for kitchen. So - Chef’s Kitchen (BawarchiCucina) - the brand name aptly describesUnnati’s personality, profession and work.

 

Touching upon her menu and best seller productsUnnati says “My focus has always been on quality rather than quantity. I try and keep a crisp yet a flavourful menu which is an amalgamation of cuisines.Being a Sauté Chef my best sellers have always been either appetizers or salads. But looking at how people relish showcasing their talent and creativity, I have recently added a new section in my menu and started a concept of DIY meal kits.”

Bawarchi Cucina is super excited and all geared up for the upcoming festive and wedding seasons. In view of the pandemic the entire team is taking multiple precautions right from washing the vegetables in potassium permanganate, baking soda and salt water to drying them under the sun; washing their hands every 15 minutes; sanitizing all the packaging material; wearing masks, gloves and head gear while preparing the food; conducting regular temperature checks to ensure everything is under control et al.

Elaborating on the impact of the on-going pandemic Unnati says “COVID-19 has definitely shaken the global food industry and the hospitality industry per se has been disturbed. The fear of infection and damage has led people to think twice before trusting anyone with their food.The base of my business was set in Delhi; but due to the current situation I had to shift back to my hometown Lucknow. As the popular adage goes - Each coin has two sides – similarly every situation has its positives and negatives. Agreed that the pandemic disturbed our commercials but it also gave us time to brainstorm new thoughts and ideas for our growth.We at BawarchiCucinafirmly believe that ‘every morning is a new beginning’so we have to wake up, buckle up and get back in the race.” 

Unnati leaves her readers with a beautiful message “The support and trust we as a brand and a hospitality community receive from you is what keeps us motivated. Small business brands and start-ups need your support and love.We at BawarchiCucina are blessed with the affection that our customers and followers have showered upon us.Keep Trusting. Keep Ordering and Stay Safe!”