Spice Up Your Plate: The Pickle Story

Armed with a passion for keeping tradition intact through food, the family behind The Pickle Story have made their mark. MAHATI SALIKE brings to us the story and process behind this bestselling venture.

Jaiveer and Prasanna began their brand after realising the importance side dishes like pickles held in nurturing a community. They would send home-made pickles to their near and dear every year but upon swivelling into a nuclear family one such year, they could not do so. Their loved ones dearly missed their delicacies so much so that later, small quantities of the pickles were sent out. All of their relatives were elated with the packages and that is when the idea of making it into a business was realised. The end of the mango season in 2018 saw their brand The Pickle Story jet off, bringing flavour and tradition through pickles and powders to a wide range of people.

Prasanna Lakshmi

The pickles made at this firm are a unique consolidation of flavours from Andhra, Rayalseema, Hyderabad and Chennai. It sounds like an odd and peculiar combination, but the tastes are ground-breaking. In the very beginning, mango pickles in 5 varieties were made. With successful marketing, they began to receive orders. “Most of the orders we receive are from word of mouth. The raving appreciation of our customers fostered us towards giving the best to them,” says Mr Jaiveer. Lately, the brand has moved into an office where all the packing happens with utmost care and responsibility.

With the business growing,the brand expanded on the varieties of condiments it offers. Overall, the firm makes 19 varieties of pickles and 21 types of powders or podis. They also boost of non-vegetarian pickle options for those looking for a little zing on the plate. The onset of the pandemic saw a rise in demand for snacks and side dishes. The Pickle Story rose to the challenge, making yummy snacks that gave a dose of nutrition. The snacks they prepare undergo a procedure called the centrifugal process. As a part of the process, the oil from the snacks is extracted to make them healthy, resulting in mouth-watering snacks with minimal oil.

The ingredients incorporated in the recipes are brought from a farm. The farmers are taken care of by the couple. The brand’s achievements are amazing! The Pickle Story was picked by Magicpin as one of the top six homegrown brands in India. Chef Kunal Kapoor has visited the couple to share the recipe of his famous boiled mango pickle, now one of the bestsellers.