Describe your business in a nutshell
Hari Ghotra is an online portal for authentic Indian food. It is a way of bridging the gap for people to cook traditional Indian food, giving them the ability to do it through various digital platforms.
How did the business start?
I started off by doing cookery sessions in people’s homes. People just feel much more relaxed when they are in their own surroundings and it makes them feel they can replicate what they produce. Now the way we are [running the business] is we have turned this on its head and made it into a digital model – we try to give people the same experience online.
What do people get wrong about Indian food?
People have this misconception that Indian food is unhealthy. Actually that’s not the case when you are cooking fresh food from home. And there has been a real shift in people becoming more and more aware of what they are eating. Hari Ghotra is not about convenience cooking – it’s about giving people the help they need to produce authentic flavours.
What did you do before you became an entrepreneur?
I worked at Tesco Clubcard for 14 years. So last year, I took the plunge and left quite a decent job – I was their online manager for the Clubcard rewards scheme.
How did your friends and family react when you told them you were starting a business?
They were very supportive. When I was doing the cookery, I was doing it part-time while I was still working for Tesco. Everybody could see it was doing really well and they could see it is my passion and what I really love. My job is my hobby, so I am in a hugely fortunate position. And it is not just the cooking I love, it is everything that goes with starting up a new business – that’s where I get to use lots of the other skills I picked up over the years.
What online marketing advice would you offer to other businesses?
Don’t assume your audience across different channels is the same. You have really got to hone what you are saying on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc to that audience – this is really quite important. There are people who will follow you across all three channels and they don’t want to see the same thing across all three.
What’s the best thing about being an entrepreneur?
I can honestly say I don’t think I have had two days the same. One day I will be filming in front of a camera, the next I will be creating the recipes. There is so much that I am doing now that’s exciting and fun. By the same token it’s terrifying – I never thought I would be standing in front of a camera and learning all these new skills.
And the hardest?
I am not very good at organising myself. You have to be very focused.
How did you learn to cook?
I learned to cook by following my mum round the kitchen. It is very much a part of my culture and who I am. As much as I love going out to a restaurant, I get a lot of pleasure from cooking.
What cooking tips do you get asked for most?
One of the questions I get asked most often is how do you make the perfect rice. And it’s surprising the recipes that are getting the most views on YouTube. Goan fish curry is hugely popular. Thari Wala chicken, a basic chicken curry with a sauce, is probably my favourite.
What advice would you offer budding entrepreneurs?
It’s really important when you start a business that you have a passion for it. It’s not like a job, it’s something that you will live and breathe.
It’s also really important to surround yourself with the right people and don’t be afraid of asking questions.
Hari Ghotra is the founder of Hari Ghotra
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