“Something different"

When Sharmain Khoree and her husband Surodeep Chaudhuri started Gobble Me Up in Bangalore, little did they realize that they were creating a taste for a new dessert churros, which left their patrons begging for more. By word of mouth publicity, this relatively new concoction which is considered Portuguese/Spanish in origin became popular in a very short time. "People want to taste something different. We have a huge foodie population. In fact the VR Bengaluru Mall I am in has not yet begun full operations and already I have had customers returning to me and some have requested me to open up outlets in other parts of the city,” Khoree says.
There is a wide variety of churros at Gobble Me Up. For this, the workers have to be specially trained to "perfect every step. We make all the fillings and some of the toppings by hand. Our churros are not served in the traditional way with the sauce on the side. We designed the product so that the sauces are filled inside. Then each churro has specific toppings to make it a delectable dessert. Our menu is limited to nine gourmet churros as of now, of which one is a savory option. They range from chocolate to fruity and nutty flavors. We also have the original churro filled with raspberry, chocolate or vanilla and rolled with sugar and cinnamon. For the customer who loves his ice crème we have a sundae – the warmth of a gourmet churro cut up with scoops of ice crème.”

Sharmain Khoree (right) with Surodeep Chaudhuri; samples of the delicacies

"The challenges are plenty — and very different. Manpower attrition is high in the food industry” but as of now she enjoys the work. "It’s exciting. Setting up the business was fun, right from the inception to attaining the perfect finished product. There were ups and downs, there were vendors who worked on their own timelines but that’s what makes work interesting. So I feel everything happened as it should have.”
Meticulous by nature, Khoree says, "I have always been focused and always have a five-year plan in my head. I have motivated myself and pushed the boundaries for myself not because someone told me something but because I am in pursuit of it. My marketing effort is on Zomato and Facebook as of now. We have a marketing budget invested with the mall which will run campaigns for us as a group in future.”
From the information technology industry to making desserts it may seem like a different world with many new challenges. Earlier she had the flexibility of working from home which was of great help when raising her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Aaira. "The difference is that now I have to sacrifice my weekends. But I don’t mind it, because I know I am building the blocks for a more stable future for me and my family. My intention is to expand quickly and I am currently looking for funding for the next outlets.”
The idea for churros germinated during one of their travel trips. Khoree says, "On a visit to Spain, and many visits thereafter, we fell in love with churros. This was almost five years ago.” They contemplated bringing this dessert to India. "But we would get caught up in our daily lives and the pursuit of corporate accolades… It was only towards the end of 2014, after a realization that my career was not taking me where I wanted to be, I decided that I would start working on a plan to start my own venture. It took me five months to actually get started,” says 36-year-old Khoree.
"I am blessed with a wonderful family from both, my in-laws’ side and my own loving parents. Surodeep has had a long stint in Hewlett Packard, where he works till today. The encouragement to take the plunge came from him first, followed by my own desire to follow my food dream. My husband is my greatest strength as is my daughter.”
When they are not working, both Sharmain and Surodeep like to travel and experience other cultures. Surodeep likes to work out and run marathons. They both love music. Sharmain likes to think of story outlines, and often shares them with her writer mother Khurshid who then expands on them. She also likes playing board games.
Khoree and her elder sister Rathi Vagale, who is married and settled in Gurgaon had a typical middle class Parsi upbringing, with time spent at home and the Parsi Club in Bangalore. The weekends would include potlucks or drives to Nandi Hills with other Parsi families. Her highlights were bike rides with her father, Jamshed, with her sitting in front and pretending to be the one driving. Their dog was a big part of their life. "My sister Rathi and I are very close. Our bond has grown stronger as we have gotten older. I find tremendous support in her. Though my mom has and always will remain my greatest strength,” says Khoree. "Being a Parsi has greatly influenced me as a person,” she adds, convinced that "We are truly quirky, extremely passionate, live life to the fullest. It is true that the women folk are more strong headed than the men in our community! I think many aspects of my character are driven by this fact. And not to forget the foodie angle. I have been a foodie all my life just like my father. We often fight over food till date… Are there foodies more passionate than Parsis? I doubt it!”
With respect to the Zoroastrian religion she thinks, "it is so beautiful. I like the logical approach in Zarathushtra’s teachings, to follow the path of righteousness, truth and order to care for nature, animals and other humans. Such simple pure thoughts that people have forgotten in this age. And the teaching that I hold in great value and try to instil in my own family is that honesty, charity, justice and hard work should be a person’s guiding principle in life. Bottom line of Zoroastrianism is that it simply tells you to be a good human being.”
VR Bengaluru, Foodbox, (Next to Phoenix Mall) Whitefield Main Road, email: amultiventures1@gmail.com