Face –to-Face
...with Mrs. Tamanna Mistry
December 23, 2020
Mrs. Tamanna Mistry is a former educator. ‘Retired but not tired’ she’s the founder of ‘Pickle your Plate’ which is gastronomically, a delight for a pickle lovers. This is her first foray into the business world and involves homemade recipes oozing with flavours and lots of love.
Elvira: Ma’am, you’ve been an educator. During those years you must’ve experienced many memorable moments with your students. Please share a few of the most lovable memories of your classroom.
Mrs. Tamanna: (smiles) Well... if the truth be told. I became an educator by chance and not by choice. I always wanted to be an air hostess but maybe life had different plans for me. Now when I look back, I find the journey very gratifying. Being an educator is no easy task. It has been a wonderful journey, shaping the young minds. There are lots of cherished memories of my class, my students and various incidents. May it be the mass PT for the school or the annual function dance or the Christmas tree decoration competition, all have their wonderful stories and memories. On a lighter note as a teacher I’ve learnt to be impartial (laughs) so quoting a few lovable memories would be extremely difficult because each one of them is precious.
Elvira: (laughs) Oh yes! I can understand that feeling. Ma’am, you’ve journeyed from ‘cooking up’ stories to interest your students to cooking for ‘Pickle your Plate’. How did this new venture come about? What inspired you to take this up?
Mrs. Tamanna: See Elvira, I love to cook and always wanted to have my own eating joint. After retirement I wanted to provide healthy brunch for school kids or start a home restaurant or meals on wheels etc. and the list is endless. It’s my only unfulfilled wish till date. After my retirement I gave it a serious thought and also started working on the idea. But then as fate willed it I had to undergo two heart surgeries after which my kids and husband did not want me to pursue the idea as owning and running an eating joint is a challenging and a full time job.
But God has been very kind to me and He stepped in. (smiles fondly) My daughter-in-law who loves my pickles encouraged me to start my own venture of selling healthy pickles. Fortunately, my husband and my sons liked the idea as it would keep me busy and at the same time allow me to work at my convenience. I could take a break from work whenever I felt and needed to do so.
And so you see... the seed was sowed. I thought why not try selling good, healthy, homemade pickles to people who are complete foodies but at the same time are health conscious and are ready to pay for the quality! (laughs)
Elvira: Wow! That sounds interesting. I’m really curious now. Tell us something about ‘Pickle your Plate’. What is it all about?
Mrs. Tamanna: (laughs) I’m glad that your interest is piqued about Pickle your Plate. Let me begin, so to say at the beginning. Once the idea was firmly planted I surveyed the available pickles in the market and realized the list of ingredients is loaded with salt, vinegar or chemical preservatives. I started making pickles for sale in the summer of 2017 using age old traditional recipes but with a magical personal twist and touch of my own. These are healthy, homemade, delicious, spicy and chemical preservative free. My pickles are processed at home using the best hygiene practices. I absolutely refrain from mass production. Pickle Your Plate’s focus and dedication is to prepare pickles in ‘small portions’ using natural ingredients. All the ingredients are handpicked, spices are home ground and the pickles are processed with great love by me.
Initially, it just began as a hobby or a passion but the excellent feedback of pickle lovers was so encouraging that it spurred me to think big and do something to take my small business to the next level. In February 2018, I launched my brand ‘Pickle Your Plate’, and got my company ‘Bits and Bites’ registered and we started selling our pickles in the local Organic Haat Bazar (Sunday Market). Then gradually we started getting orders from our friends and relatives from Ajmer as well as out of Ajmer. (leans forward) You know what, Elvira? I realized that word of mouth advertising is the best, it worked for us and soon orders began to pour in. And this year the lockdown pushed our business online and so now our pickles are also available on Flipkart. (with a satisfied smile) Today my pickles are delivered all over India and the customer feedback is really excellent which encourages me to carry on the business.
At the moment, Pickle Your Plate is just at an infant stage dreaming to grow with pride, maintaining the quality and flavours. I strongly feel that making pickle is an art which needs great care and hygiene to preserve and increase its shelf life without losing its aroma and taste. In the future my aim is to empower the neighbourhood needy women by training them in pickle making skill and making them financially strong and independent.
Elvira: Amazing! This sounds like a story. And, I believe that it is the story of your success. I’m sure that all mustn’t have been roses and sunshine. You must have come upon a few obstacles from time to time. What were the challenges you had to face in your journey to set up this ‘delicious dream’?
Mrs. Tamanna: (emphatically) Oh yes! There were many challenges. I am a teacher and so is my husband. We both are not at all business people. So the commercial part, getting a GST, registering a company, getting trademark for our logo etc. was all new to us. Also we had no idea of marketing a product, handling the accounts and advertising.
Then there were a few other problems, like making pickles in bulk was a tough job. I had to find the right combination for various spices, the right time for the maturity and the right methods and processes. Factors like sunlight and rain could also spoil your plan. But now I have learnt all that’s required. (laughs)
Elvira: (thoughtfully) Hmm... Quite enlightening! What advice would you like to share with those struggling to find a foothold while setting up their dream projects?
Mrs. Tamanna: (smiles) I would like to tell them to hang on and not to quit. Things might get rough, there would be times when you would not be able to see ahead clearly. You will be troubled by questions like when, what, how, why, with no answers in the near future. But believe me the right attitude will take you through all this. Winning customer trust is an art which requires lot of patience and time. Slowly and steadily you just need to keep moving towards your goal. It’s a very competitive world and you need to be mentally strong. Face all challenges with a positive attitude and success will be yours! (smiles)
Elvira: How insightful! Thank you so much Ma’am. It’s been wonderful interacting with you!
You can find more about ‘Pickle your Plate’ on their website.