Leading chefs, restaurateurs, fashion designers organise virtual sales and fundraisers for Covid relief
- Fashion Featured Food & Beverage Lifestyle
Pratishtha Rana- 21 minutes read
Pratishtha Rana
The only need of the hour when India is battling the horrific second wave of Covid-19 is to help one other in any big or small way possible. While our brave frontline workers continue to fight the pandemic, India’s established and emerging entrepreneurs are also pitching in.
F&B sector’s Saransh Goila and Zorawar Kalra are sending home-made meals to Covid-affected people’s doorsteps. Designer brands Gaurav Gupta, Olio Stories and Isharya are donating 50 to 100 per cent of their sale proceeds to NGOs that arrange oxygen cylinders, safety kits and free vaccines.
You can help their cause too.
Saransh Goila
Indian chef, author and Founder of Goila Butter Chicken, Saransh Goila has launched a non-profit project Covidmealsforindia. Covid patients across 29 states and 200 cities in India can connect directly with homechefs, cooks, cloud kitchens, volunteers, restaurants in their neighbourhoods that will provide daily, nutritious meals for free or at a minimal cost. There are more than 2000 foodservice providers registered on the website.
One can get these meals by searching for homechefs’ details on covidmealsforindia.com or via WhatsApp 8882891316. Home deliveries are available on Dunzo, Swiggy Genie, Shadowfax, Wefast.
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Zorawar Kalra
Massive Restaurants’ Founder Zorawar Kalra’s team of chefs is cooking fresh, nutritious for Covid-afflicted patients and families in Gurgaon. Available for takeaway or home delivery by Swiggy Genie, these packaged meals are free of cost. Their weekly menu lists rajma-chawal, kadhi-chawal, chole-chawal, yellow dal and rice and soya badi chawal. One can call or WhatsApp on 9999609073 between 12 pm – 6:30 pm.
On Wednesday, Kalra also offered his restaurants pan-India to be used as vaccination centres. He said on Instagram, “Vaccination on a war footing is the key to getting rid of this pandemic. As such if authorities permit, we would love to offer our network of restaurants across the country as vaccination centres during the lockdown.”
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Vikas Khanna
Vikas Khanna, the Michelin-star masterchef is currently living in New York but his complete attention is on his homeland, India. He teamed up with Vibha, a 100 per cent volunteer-driven NGO, to immediately arrange medical essentials and covid relief funds to hospitals and healthcare facilities. As of May 6, Khanna and Vibha have raised $525,000 and collected 650 oxygen concentrators and 5000+ PPE kits to help India fight Covid. They are also planning to open vaccination clinics in the country soon.
Good Slice by Neysa Mendes
Neysa Mendes, master baker and blogger at Good Slice, a popular Instagram profile filled with scrumptious shots of desserts, ice creams, sourdough breads and what not, has launched an online bake sale-cum-fundraiser, #BakeforIndia. Whether you’re a home-baker or a professional chef, you can participate in this ongoing sale to raise funds for urgent Covid relief work. The rules are simple – one must sell at least 10 units of a food item on the menu to customers, friends, family, of which 100 per cent proceeds will go to verified charity groups, including Ketto, Khaana Chahiye, Annada and Goonj.
Mendes on Instagram said, “What started as my own bake sale less than a week ago has snowballed into dozens (close to 100 I think) of us trying to do our own bit.”
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Gauri Devidayal
Renowned restaurateur and founder of The Table, Magazine Street Kitchen and Iktara, Gauri Devidayal, launched her version of bake sale-cum-fundraiser in association with #BakeforIndia. Her delectable menu includes offerings from La Folie, Bono Boutique, Ether Chocolate and Ishka Farms. 100 per cent proceeds will go to Railway Children India NGO to provide safety and sanitary kits to families across 30 slum communities.
Farida Gupta
An easy elegance underpins Farida Gupta’s trove of handcrafted ethnic wear. Through her eponymous brand (founded in 2011), she has always given prominence and support to the real makers of the garment – her family of artisans. And now, as Covid ravages the better part of the country and people’s livelihoods, Gupta has launched a Mother’s Day special fundraiser sale from May 6 – May 9. 50 per cent proceeds will go to multiple NGOs for the urgent arrangements of oxygen supply, medicines, PPE kits and financial aid for Covid-affected families.
Gaurav Gupta
Designer Gaurav Gupta who is presently recovering from Covid-19 told Vogue India that he feels lucky that he suffered only a mild Covid attack. In 2020, Gupta was able to raise 30 lakhs for migrant workers. This time around he has joined hands with Hemkunt Foundation and GiveIndia for a massive donation drive to combat the acute oxygen shortage in India.
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Isharya
Sister-in-laws Gauri and Radhika Tandon’s label, Isharya, is popular for its artsy take on modern-Indian costume jewellery. The duo has pledged support to Covid relief non-profit groups. For the first week of this month, until May 08, Isharya will donate 100 per cent of all its sale profits to Uday Foundation, Mission Oxygen and Hemkunt Foundation.
Olio Stories
Olio Stories’ Founder duo Aashna Singh and Sneha Saksena, likes to call their made-in-India jewellery ‘gold-plated modern heirlooms’. Last week, they brought together their consumer community to buy the best of Olio pieces and raise funds for Covid relief. The aim was to collect Rs2,00,000 but they managed to raise Rs12,40,974, 100 per cent of which was donated to five organisations, Khaana Chahiye, MCKS Food, Mission Oxygen, Hemkunt Foundation and Enrich Lives Foundation.
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