M Purushoutham
They say necessity is the mother of innovation. Mr Avinash Naik couldn’t agree more!
It all began 38 years ago when in the year1986 family circumstances forced him and his family to do something no one in their entire family, past & present had ever attempted. Entrepreneurship to retain self-respect.
To stay out of tough times, Mr Avinash Naik and his mother Mrs Surekha Naik, whose cooking was admired by friends and relation hit upon the idea of catering for small gatherings and events. What started with orders for small groups in offices & “karyalayas” is today one of Pune’s best, most diverse, admired and go-to caters which serves gatherings as large as 2000 be it for snacks, starters or meals for a range of events be it marriages, thread-ceremonies (munja), corporate events, kitty parties or high-teas! All this while they remain STRICTLY VEGETARIAN AND NON-ALCOHOL BASED!
Events & occasions change come and go. What remains is the quality of food, beverages and services by Swad Caterers which perfectly complement the occasion, the gentry, the mood, and the ambience! Traditional, Western, Chinese, Indian North to South, East to West, you get it here in its authentic form sometimes mixed and matched to go with local tastes, sensibilities and demands. That, comes from experience and the knowledge of one’s abilities which comes easily to Swad Caterers given that they do their homework painstakingly, be it visiting the venue to understand the set-up or be it understanding the clients’ aspirations and limitations.
Food in India is novelty enough. Swad Caterers’s USP is in creating novelties further without bothering clients with budgets and other “hard” considerations. Point to any country on the globe and their expert team using available ingredient (vegetarian mind you!) come up with the most exquisite of delicacies. Having cooked for close to four decades, they prepare as per need, mood and theme. In doing so, their menus remain quite extensive with over two dozen main dishes, and a similar number of side-dishes and salads. They are also known for their sweets, drinks (non-alcoholic) and mocktails, and are known to bring to life traditional items that are fast disappearing including. Purnachi Poli, Ukdiche Modak, Satorya
Be it the Kirloskar’s family or corporate event or that of Suzlon in faraway Ahmednagar or for that matter the recent theme wedding 50 kms from Pune, Swad Caterers go out of their way to make every occasion special and memorable. Speaking of “Theme-based occasions”, their latest offering, it fell to them to design, conjure and execute a Peshwai Wedding, replete with ALL the bells, whistles, gongs and conches. And they did it with the right amount of research and consulting (yes, they ALSO RESEARCH & EXECUTE!)! For the guests in attendance, the novelty started the moment they stepped into the elaborately decorated venue where they were made to dress like Peshwai Guests from head to toe which included elaborate necklaces, and for women, jewellery of those times! Seating, food, serving, ceremonies, everything was Peshwai right down to the last detail! No prices for guessing the guests’ reaction! Some came back asking for something similar for themselves! Another one of their USPs is that they add to their clients’ wishes (and not necessarily their bills!) by extending services like venue decoration, music, lighting etc. Their enviable list of clients include the likes of the Rotary Club, Lions’ Club and corporates such as UB Engineering to name some. Pune’s top “Karyalaya” like Randarshan Hall, Kakasaheb Ingle Sabha gruh, Chhatre Sabha gruh and Kasturba Hall too employ them as their in-house caterers.
Workmen being their biggest asset, Swad Caterers takes care to see to it that they remain updated on the latest in food preparation and serving. To this end, they regularly hold month-long sessions for new recruits in etiquettes and service, besides meets with renowned food experts and Chefs for their experienced staff to improve their wares. Camaraderie being important to their business, Swad encourages a yearly get-together-cum-picnic of staff & families where members have to come with their select dish, a la-Pot luck! That being the level of confidence, the management style here is flat with everyone in every department being treated equally, with equal accesses to Mr Naik. This is also evident in the way consensus is arrived at when taking decision be it strategic or mundane.
Swad Caterers remains a modest, traditional set-up that has come up the traditional way on their own with their own resources without resorting to loans, borrowings, credit or partnerships. A “zero-loans” organization with their own set of vehicles & stores to ferry and stores equipment and dining paraphernalia right from stoves to spoons, they would like to “Go Slow but Steady” without external equities or loans as of now.
With so many laurels under their belt Swad Caterers is today a known brand with a loyal following among a host of Puneris. To further its moto of “ghara, ghara cha” it has professionally-executed youtube promo videos and regular posts on facebook and Instagram besides their sponsored radio slots on Akashvani. All this has seen them being being nomination to the category of best caterers!
Swad Caters has had a glorious past, a shining present and a resplendent future with “commitment towards service” being their primary USP. To this end, in times to come, a dedicated “App” shall help their clients accesses and order services online with ease!
Contact : 98220 43706
Website : www.swadcaterers.com
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Arpita Kathane
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