Natural Ice-cream founder R S Kamath gives us a scoop on why his business is so hot
Natural Ice-cream founder R S Kamath gives us a scoop on why his business is so hot
DESPITE being in the business for 25 years, owner and founder of Natural Ice-cream Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath still prefers the age-old way of publicity word of mouth.
When we arrive at his Mangalorean-style bungalow at Lokhandwala, we are bowled over by his simplicity. His living room has intricate carved woodwork on the ceiling, and a side door opens into a courtyard the kind seen in old Mangalorean homes. Here, he lists what he learnt from making traditional ice-cream... that has melted many hearts.
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Customers are teachers
I started with little knowledge about ice-cream making. Over the years, I've realised that listening to the customer always pays. They come up with good suggestions and ideas. I listen to them every time. They suggest flavours, use of a particular fruit and urge me to use less sugar. The customer is always right and that has been my principle.
Knowledge is important
We are at least 35 years behind in milk and milk products as compared to the world. So I had to gain knowledge about milk and how it has to be fresh and can be preserved. Also, you cannot use iron or aluminum instruments. Only food grade steel can be used to make the best ice cream.
Understanding fruits
Studying fruits and their different behaviour was also part of the deal. Fruits that grow on the land like strawberries are high on bacteria. Though it's the spots on strawberries that actually lend it character, it's also a breeding ground for bacteria. Sitaphal and pineapple fall in the same category. Watermelon is the best fruit hygienically because of its smooth surface.u00a0
Bigger the business, easier it gets
When I started out with the Juhu outlet, I had to look into every aspect of the business single-handedly. As my business grew, it was a lot easier to handle, and it became affordable. You can afford to keep big consultants. People want to work for you.u00a0
Safeguard your secrets
Everyone has trade secrets, and these one has to share with the staff. There is a risk of getting cheated. I have faced losses because of this. It's a Catch-22 situation: If you trust, you incur losses; if you don't trust, you still incur losses because you are not doing justice to the product. The only way out is to share all your knowledge and yet have some more to take you to the next level.
Dream big
I never say 'I know everything' or 'I am satisfied'. By saying that one becomes kuye ka mendak. International brands have taught us not to be satisfied by small achievements. Always dream big. Most of us are happy with just one or two shops. McDonald's has 35,000 outlets so far, Cafu00e9 Coffee Day 500. If you are a small fish, big fish will eat you.
Be a problem solver
We faced many problems and have had to find a way out ourselves. We have difficult flavours like the tender coconut and sitaphal. The thing with tender coconut is that if you crack open ten coconuts, only two will have the quality of malai we require to make ice cream. We use 1,000 coconuts every day. De-seeding sitaphal is not easy. Importing machines means paying heavy duty on them. After a lot of trial and error, we got equipment made here to suit our needs.
Handling competition
I learnt to delegate work. This means trusting my staff with trade secrets. But nothing is hidden these days. As per rules, we have to even write the percentage of ingredients on the wrappers. One way to survive though is to constantly innovate, come up with new flavours before older ones get copied.
Humble experiments
A couple of flavours have started from our dining table. In Mangalore, we make a steamed idli-like item from jackfruit. One day I was eating that at home, and I thought of making ice cream from jackfruit. Tender coconut also came from an experience off the dining table.u00a0
Look after your staff
I pay attention to my staff. Just recently five of them fell ill and I sent them to a top doctor for medication. Frankly, it's times like these when you can actually pay them back for their efforts. But you need
to feel for the staff from within.
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