Vinis Foods looking for organic growth

Brief us about your product?

Vini’s sauces is a brand that caters fresh sauces market segment. We make fresh pizza, pasta and other sauces without using any preservatives.

Currently, we have 14 kinds of sauces in our product line. We started with four flavours in 2013 and today we have expanded to 14. Our products include six types of red and white pasta sauce, basil pine nut pesto, salsa and mango salsa, hummus and periperi hummus and Greek dips.

From where do you source the products?

All our products are self-made, under my supervision.

What is the major challenge you faced in retailing?

Distribution is the biggest challenge for today. As a product is made fresh and there is no added preservative, it has a shorter shelf life. Distribution needs to be done in a day or so, making the sauces and delivery to be under controlled temperature conditions. Currently, I have a delivery system that is made in the morning and sent out in next 24 hours.

How do you decide pricing for the Indian market?

Pricing is very subjective and has nothing to do with the cost of making the product. It is more of a perceived value. In our case, the price of ingredients are fluctuating based on season and produce in a particular season. We absorb these fluctuations and not let the customer feel the heat. While our end product is an artisan product–hand made at a smaller scale, our pricing is more for the masses. We want masses to taste global flavours at prices that are easy on the pocket and they don’t have to think twice before spending on our products.

What do you do to ensure the quality of food going out to the customer?

I am 200 per cent involved in the manufacturing process, so I ensure all is being done to maintain the quality and taste of the product. I also believe that a good product can only be made if the base ingredients are of great quality. When we started, I myself use to go and pick up the best ingredients from the market. Now, we have tie ups with vendors who provide us with the best vegetables and herbs.

You also supply to restaurants and hotels. Please name some?

There are restaurants like Hungry Lion, which uses our Pizza Sauce. A café called Tea Brew, which uses hummus. It is supplied to Big Basket also.

What is your expansion plans?

Currently, we are only looking for organic growth. Our USP is “Fresh no preservatives” product, we do not want to get into industrial scale production yet. We are still working on how to expand without losing the “Fresh“ tag on our product line. May be in next couple of years, we will look at expansion by franchising to other metros.

What’s the source of funding? Are you looking for any investment or fund raising any time soon?

At present, we are self funded and looking for more funds, once we are ready for expansion in two years.