PODCAST: Brooklyn Delhi’s Path from Blog to Brand with Chitra Agrawal

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Transcript

Chitra: When we first started Brooklyn Delhi, I feel like there was kind of this notion, and I mean, still today in some, some parts of the country, too, in that when you're looking at ethnic foods, a lot of people feel like for it to be authentic, it has to be cheap. And I think that Brooklyn Delhi is dispelling that whole notion. Um, and I. And for us, it's really in the data.

Announcer: You're listening to CPG launch leaders, the show where we interview new products. Trailblazers get ready for inspiration and secrets from the front lines of CPG innovation. Now, here are our hosts, Darcy Ramler and Alan Peretz.

Allan: Welcome to CPG launch leaders. I'm Alan Peretz, and I'm here with my co host, Darcy Ramler. With us today is Chitra Aggarwal, the founder of Brooklyn Delhi, a product that started from a family recipe and is now making its way to shelves across the country.

Darcy: Chitra, uh, we're beyond excited to hear how you built your team as the brand scaled and the thoughtful process of creating your unmistakable product branding aesthetics. Before we dive in, we love to start each episode with one particular question. Currently, what new product has caught your attention in the marketplace?

Chitra: Thank you for having me. And one product that I'm, um, pretty obsessed with right now are, uh, sun noodles. It's basically this ramen kit, um, that you can get in. I think it's frozen or refrigerated, but they basically built their name by providing some of the best ramen restaurants around the world with handmade noodles. And they recently, uh, went to grocery, ah, with the offering. And my whole family is obsessed with it, including my kids, which is very hard to get everybody on the same page.

Darcy: Ramen is a fruit of my children as well, Chitra, so I am going to have to try that. And I did the other night, not noodles, but I made homemade ramen. So this may be what I need to add to the recipe.

Chitra: Oh, yeah, definitely.

Allan: So every brand has a story. Can you tell us a little bit about the origin story for your brand, which is pretty unique.

Chitra: Yeah.

Chitra: So, um, I feel like, like a lot of other CPG food brand owners.

Chitra: Uh, we didn't know what we were getting into.

Chitra: Um, so I actually, um, was working in marketing when I started to blog about my family's recipes. Um, and I think that at the time I was blogging when I was living in Brooklyn, and I felt like there was like, a very cool scene, like a food scene going on that was apart from the restaurant scene. There was a lot of home cooks that were serving food at markets and just, like, teaching cooking classes, and there was all these, like, really cool supper clubs. And I kind of got swept up in that whole community. And from writing, I connected with a lot of people that were also interested in, um, food and just, uh, you know, creating new recipes. And so I started teaching cooking classes. Um, I hosted a number of pop up dinners. And then eventually, um, I was still working a job in marketing while I.

Chitra: Was doing all of it.

Chitra: Um, I, uh, eventually got offered to write a cookbook. Um, and I think at that point it was, um, kind of, I guess, made clear to me that what I was doing as a hobby was something that I wanted to do full time. And kind of at the same time, the cookbook was kind of going on. Um, I had met, I now who's my husband, my boyfriend at the time, who is a food packaging designer. So he had done packaging for really large brands, like cereal boxes, basically, total cheerios, all these really huge iconic brands. And he loved what I was doing just for indian food and offered to launch a brand with me. Um, we created Brooklyn delhi together, and I still, um, develop all the recipes, and he still designs all the packaging. And we really started, um, with, mean, baking all of our condiments by hand in a soup pantry in Brooklyn and then selling them at markets throughout the city. And I started with Achar, which is a very traditional indian condiment. Um, and we basically introduced it to, um, the Brooklyn flee at all these different markets all over the city. And then specialty food buyers got interested, and then eventually national retailers, um, got interested in the products, and now we're, um, distributed all throughout the US.

Allan: That's a great story. So you had this marketing background, and your husband had these design chops, incredible design shops. Do you think you would have made the leap into entrepreneurship without all that background?

Chitra: Um, I don't. Well, I feel like I wouldn't have made the leap if I hadn't met Ben, really, because I'm a really risk averse person. And, um, you know, I had a stable job with a paycheck and benefits, and I feel like it was, um, really, if I hadn't met him, I don't think that I would have taken that leap. I think that we together made what Brooklyn delhi is. Um, it's really kind of. I guess it's that sum of parts, you know what I mean? It's like, absolutely.

Darcy: And can you talk a little bit about the origin of the name, where it came from, how you guys landed on that, and then we'll get into a little bit more about this amazing design and brand is so distinctive as well.

Chitra: Um, yeah, so the blog that I was writing was called the ABCDs of cooking, which I feel like if you are south asian, you know what ABCD means? It stands for american born confused. They see. So it's basically someone like me m that grew up in the US, but is of south asian descent. And so that was the whole kind of premise behind my blog and the kind of food that I was creating. It was really, for me, how to kind of delve into my identity as an indian American through food. But I guess the name wasn't that universal or understood. So Brooklyn Delhi kind of really was a way to kind of communicate that idea. Um, and it was very personal still because I was doing all the work in Brooklyn and my father is from Delhi. So it kind of really kind of pushed together these two worlds that I was a part of or am a part of still.

Darcy: So the concept and design of Brooklyn Delhi is very distinctive. How has it evolved as your product line has expanded?

Chitra: So in the beginning, it was very much focused on, I remember when Ben and I were still working, we were working on kind of what the brand was going to look like. And I had a number of these photos from when I had been visiting India that were of, uh, these storefronts that were hand, um, painted, and then also of truck art. So if you've been to India and, ah, you may know this, but there are amazing, amazing, like artists that draw and paint on the trucks that are in India. And it's like this kind of like, um, it's so iconic. It's just, um, really amazing. So I had taken a lot of photos of those types of, um, art pieces. And so I had kind of shown those to Ben as well as like just the, um, you know, the signage, the store signage. And he kind of like, took that and ran with it and also mashed together what a Brooklyn deli like, awning looks like. And so that's where we came up with the logo for Brooklyn delhi and also kind of like the packaging. Um, so those were, they were all nods to, um, kind of both, uh, places in a sense. Um, and I think that as time has gone on, I feel like we have developed more and more products. So, you know, the condiments were the first piece. And then we started to work on simmer sauces. And the thing about our simmer sauces is that they're all plant based. And instead of using butter or cream? We use, um, like, this really nice coconut cream. And so, um, Ben kind of took this amazing coconut leaf pattern, and, um, that was basically kind of the design that came about for our simmer sauces.

Darcy: What an amazing story behind it.

Allan: I know you've taken a very delhiberate and organic approach to growth. Um, can you share a little bit more about that and how it impacts retail relationships with whole foods and others?

Chitra: Yeah, I mean, I guess for us it's that I worked for, you know, over a decade, um, for somebody else, I always had a boss. And I think that with Brooklyn delhi, it's so personal to my story that I have been committed to figuring out how I can basically still have ownership over that vision. Um, and we have been lucky in the sense that we've been able to bootstrap this business and continue without having to take outside funding. Um, but at the same time, it means that we grow at our own pace. And I think that, um, it's, as of now, that's basically where we're at. Um, because I get to figure out in any day, it's like I get to figure out what I want to work on. I could work on my blog right now because I do a lot of recipe development. I don't have anybody telling me that's maybe not what you should be working on. But at the end of the day, it's like, if I had a boss, I almost feel like, um, it's like, what's the reason that I started Brooklyn delhi in the first place? It was basically to have ownership over, um, what we put out at Brooklyn delhi and what I worked on here. Um, and so that's kind of what we've. So far, where we're at. I don't know if, like, a few years from now, I'm going to be like, oh, my God, I really need a lot more money. Um, but, uh, for now, I feel like, um, it's good. And for me, it's just that I'm just like, I can't even believe that I can make a living doing something that I love. And, um, me and Ben are kind of like simple people in that. Like, I probably spend most of my money on food. Um, anyway, so it's like, this is perfect for me.

Darcy: Market research.

Chitra: Right, exactly.

Allan: Well, I know the hard part in that kind of model, of course, is the inventory. Um, but it sounds like you guys have done a good job kind of, uh, managing that growth in a way that allows you to hit scale.

Chitra: Right? I mean, we borrow money from banks. Right. So it's like, that's the other piece is that, um, the percent, I mean, an interest rate is a lot different than giving somebody a percentage of your company too. And a bank is not going to tell me what to do.

Allan: That's true. That's true.

Darcy: Absolutely. So as you said, this story and your founder story, from starting in blogging and recipes and making that transition from hand making products in your kitchen and then scaling up to co manufacturing, and there's so much when you start co manufacturing from m ingredients and combinations, it must have been quite a significant change for you guys. How did you guys start to, you know, specific recipes and especially, you know, venturing into culturally influenced recipes have, you know, ensuring the quality and authenticity becomes highly important. Can you kind of walk us through how you maintain that process? Scaling from a kitchen all the way to co manufacturing?

Chitra: Yeah, no, I mean, that's a great question. I feel like when I first developed the recipes, it was in my home kitchen, right? And I was making a lot of these condiments and selling them at pop, uh, up dinner. So it was like very small scale. Um, and then the next phase was going to a commercial kitchen. And, um, I'd say that even from going from just like my pot at home to a braising pan in a soup pantry, that was eye opening because our first product was our tomato atchar. And I just remember looking at that, you know, at the commercial kitchen, having it boil in this kettle, and I was like, oh my God, it's like lava. And I have to put it into a jar now. And it's like, you know, it's kind of like a scary thing to be like, to go from like such a small amount to then even going to, um, what, you know, is not even that large of an amount. And I'd say that, um, for us, when we scaled up and did go to a co packer, um, it was really, it was tough for me because I didn't want to give up a lot of that control, right. So it's like I could see every piece of it. And what we had to do is we found a co packer that was able to work with the recipe that we had and allowed us to still source all of our ingredients. And I think that has been important for us because I feel like a lot of co packers that we did talk to, they wanted to kind of have that they wanted to own the sourcing piece of it. And I think that's kind of a way for them to kind of drive down their own costs by maybe, um, sourcing ingredients that would not be as high quality as we use in our products. And so that's been kind of, um, a big piece of the products that we put out is that we still own all the sourcing.

Darcy: Absolutely. And then if you allow, sometimes if you give up that power to your point, Chitra, is you can get variations in how it's tasting and the flavors and so forth. So maintaining that, and especially as you're going the route of more organic growth, maintaining that consistency for your consumers is really vital.

Chitra: Right, exactly. And I also think that even scaling up to larger kettles for how we make our product actually ended up in a product that I felt tasted better in a sense, because it was kind of just like this, even heat. And it was just, I was very surprised when we first did our first, um, trial runs. Um, I was blown away, actually, how good it tasted.

Allan: Speaking of growth, growing a team is really one of the big challenges that entrepreneurs faced. I remember hiring my first employee in a new business. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey and how you've decided what roles to fill internally versus outsourcing or partnering?

Chitra: Right. So I feel like for us, we've always looked at it like, what is it that I can do really well myself? And, like, let's keep that in house. And what is it that I'm not good at? Like, finance and ops, and that's where we outsource. So, um, I have, you know, I have grown our team very, um, very slowly in that sense, because, um, you know, then again, like, working capital, cash flow is an issue for us. So I, I have to make sure that every person that I bring on is going to bring value for us. So, um, I'd say ops was the first piece that, um, we started, um, hiring. And even to this day, I mean, like, we don't have anybody that is full time. Everybody that we work with is a freelancer. So, um, and some of them prefer that because I feel like they may, it just gives them flexibility, too. Right. So, and that's something that we are upfront with, um, anybody that does work with us. Um, and as of now, this is how it's working. Um, but for instance, so we brought in ops. So I have three people that work with us on, on ops at Brooklyn delhi. Um, and then the next piece was marketing. So I come from the marketing side. So I hired people that kind of, like, were specialists in what they do. So, like, I hired a content creator, and then I hired, um, someone that does performance marketing. And then, um, someone that's kind of like, uh, just learning how to do marketing that I can kind of manage and teach. Um, who helps us with our influencer marketing. So I feel like we've kind of been very step by step. Um, is kind of how we've worked. And then we have a fractional sales team that we work with, and, um, like an accountant and bookkeeper. Um, so that's basically kind of what our team looks like.

Allan: And you're kind of the hub of the wheel that connects all those people together.

Chitra: That's me. I'm, uh, the boss.

Darcy: Well, Brickland Delhi's products are premium quality indian products. As you've grown and your retail shelf presence has grown as well, how have you navigated the challenges and opportunities of introducing higher price points in this international aisle or shelf space?

Chitra: Yeah, so I think that, uh, so when we first started Brooklyn delhi, I feel like there was kind of like, this notion, and I mean, still today in some parts of the country, too, in that when you're looking at ethnic foods, a lot of people feel like for it to be authentic, it has to be cheap. And I think that Brooklyn delhi is dispelling that whole notion. Um, and for us, it's really in the data. And so that's what we go to for when we do sell through our products, is that you look at a category, for instance, like, um, pasta sauce, right? When I was growing up, it was like ragu and Prego. Right? It was like, pregu is kind of the bottom line. Prego is like a little bit. A little bit above that.

Darcy: It was like a level up. In my year, when I was a kid, we were a ragu family.

Allan: Yeah.

Chitra: No, my parents were ragu, and we, like. But they would add ton of spices to it, so they would add, like, chilies and, like, all this stuff.

Darcy: There were no carbons, though. There were none of those. Yeah.

Chitra: Right. And so, like, the raos and carbones came and it worked. Right. Because there was still this customer that was looking for a premium product. And I think that's where Brooklyn Delhi also is. We're following suit with those brands, basically, and we're making a case for it by the numbers, basically now.

Allan: So discovery is obviously critical to any growing brand. Can you tell us a little bit about marketing and how you approach that?

Chitra: Um, I think from the beginning, because I come from a blogging background, it's always been about education through recipes. And for us, it's that, like, especially with the Achars those two, like, we have a tomato achar and a garlic achar. Um, and those are very staple south asian condiments. But a lot of m Americans don't know what an Achar is. It's basically this really spicy, savory, sour condiment that all South Asians just add a little bit to their meal, and it kind of just transforms it. And so for me, I love mixing just fusion recipes. And so from the outset, we created all of this content around how to use the achars in all these different ways. So, I mean, on our social, like, we're really active on Instagram and TikTok, and we have a blog that has tons of recipes, and we also send emails out to customers weekly. Um, and so that's kind of the way that we look at social media, is to, um, like, one piece of it is to really educate people on how to use the, uh, products that we make. And I think the other piece is that we're really using Brooklyn Delhi as a platform to celebrate south asian culture and our people. And so we use the platform to also, um, showcase a lot of talent coming from the south asian community. Um, and I feel like that has been really resonating with our audience as well.

Darcy: I think there's such a, as you're saying, there's such an educational part to what you're providing in bringing in such a cultural influence and bringing indian food, but bringing it together with that american consumer. How can they utilize it? It's not just the traditional ways. Um, there's other ways that they can implement it and incorporate it into recipes. Um, within that. Have you seen, even from the start of really you formulated your company, have you seen a change? I was just at Expo west, and you're starting to see so much more influence and flavors and international flavors coming into the marketplace. Do you feel that's influenced, really, the trajectory of your company?

Chitra: I definitely think so. And I think that for us, um, a lot of interest in our products also kind of took off during the pandemic, too. And it's just this, um, which is cool in a sense, even though it was like a very, you know, it was a tough situation, um, for a lot of us that people just wanted to discover new things to cook with at home. And I think that for a lot of people, that interest stayed with them. And I feel like we got a lot of customers during that time that discovered Achar, and we still get emails that are like, oh, my God, like, you helped us through that time. Everything was so boring. And then we found your condiments. And I feel like that, um, the more people kind of, like, discovered us there, but also people are just discovering global flavors through social in such a huge way that, like, everybody's on, I mean, like, yeah, like, my parents are on social media. You know what I mean? Like, it's like everybody's kind of like, like learning about and really curious to try all these different things that they see, um, like, see on their screens, basically.

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Darcy: We know growing a company, it has its great moments, and it has its unexpected moments as well. What are some of the lessons you feel that you've learned? This can be either through entrepreneurship, the food industry, personal lessons as well. But, you know, we know it's, there's always those unexpected ones. Is there any that you would, that stand out to you?

Chitra: Gosh, I have a lot of lessons, um, that I've learned. Um, but I'd say one of the most important ones is that I think in the beginning that when I would make a mistake or something would go wrong, I just freak out about it. And now I kind of look at it as just a learning moment and, um, try to keep my cool as best I can. But it's just that in this business that a lot of it is basically trial by fire. And, uh, each time you kind of run into a situation, it makes you that much more prepared when it comes up again. And so that's kind of what I've learned, is that you really just, you don't know what's going to happen in a day, and you have to be ready to just be okay with what, you know, what comes about.

Darcy: Yeah. And when you say trial by fire, also, as you've kind of expanded or you think about the next steps of where you're headed, how do you approach that as a brand and obviously a very lean team of, um, two that are working in that day to day. How do you guys approach what is the next step for the brand? Where is the portfolio expanding to?

Chitra: For us, I feel like it's that we definitely want to be their premier indian brand at that premium level. But I also feel like we have learned that we have to go also where our customer is to some degree. So that means that we are not going to go after opportunities that may look great to say that we're in x retailer when it may not make sense for our brand or where we're at right now. Um, and so we're really, um, specific about the types of retailers that we work with and who we want, um, where we think our customers are, basically.

Allan: Which retailers, just as you think about the top ones. Can you give us some examples?

Chitra: Uh, so we're in whole Foods nationwide. We are in the fresh market. We are in, um. I'm trying to think we're in like a lot of still, like natural specialty, um, markets. And we do have a great relationship also with blue apron. So that was actually, ah, an amazing partnership for us that helped to educate more people about what a char is, uh, because they were able to kind of put it in all of these different recipes and it was a way for us to sample our char to, uh, millions of homes.

Darcy: Basically, I was going to say it's a great awareness play, but at the same token, it goes back to your roots of how you started blogging with recipes. And kind of that connection is a very beautiful connection because it brings a story full circle.

Chitra: Right? And the funny part was, is that I used to teach cooking classes in Brooklyn and at Brooklyn Kitchen, and one of the people that I worked with there went to blue apron, and she's the one that helped to bring the achar into blue apron. So it was like, it is real full circle.

Allan: So I've got a two part question here. First part is, um, I'm going to Whole Foods later this afternoon. What should I pick up? Uh, just to try your brand and maybe a few items. And then what should I expect on the shelves in the future? Like, what are you working on today that you want to share with us or can share with us?

Chitra: So I'd say if you're going to whole foods, definitely pick one of our simmer sauces. And to make it authentic, add one of our achars to it too. So it's like, say you got our tikka masala, you would make like a chicken tikka masala or tofu tikka masala, and then add a spoon of our garlic, achar, or tomato atar to the finished dish, and you'll be very happy.

Allan: Well, if I'm a spice lover, I'll probably use half a jar of a char.

Chitra: And we are going to be launching, uh, quite a few new products this year. Um, I'll just say that, um, they're going to make indian food at home a lot easier. And we have six new products that will be launching, um, nationwide at whole foods this year.

Allan: Well, that's intriguing.

Darcy: Very exciting. So, finally, you know, for other entrepreneurs that are out there and are listening, looking to make their mark in the CPG industry, especially those bringing new cultural, cultural flavors to the table, what advice would you give based on your experience with your brand?

Chitra: I'd say that community is everything. I don't think that I would have been able to get off the ground with this business as fast as I did without connecting with other CPG founders. Um, I was lucky because I had been working in food before and selling food at market. So I met a lot of people in food that were a little bit ahead of me because they then went from prepared foods to starting their own CPG companies. And so I leaned on my community heavily when I first began. And a lot of those, um, same people have become just like my best friends. Like, they came to my wedding or, you know. And so I'd say that, um, definitely connecting with community and, um, not like launching your brand in a silo, um, but really seeking out, um, information and, um, building a community, um, before you, you launch.

Darcy: Absolutely. Well, Chitra, thank you so much for taking the time to talk about Brooklyn Delhi and the story that really exists around your brand. Your story is rich with insights into building a brand with authenticity, navigating the challenges of scaling, and the importance of thoughtful approach to team building and product development. It is stories like yours that remind us to keep innovating, stay inspired, and let's continue to redefine the world of CPG innovation. We appreciate you.

Chitra: Thanks so much for having me.

Allan: Thanks for joining.

Darcy: So, coming out of that episode, I always think it's interesting, you know, we've covered major launches from major brands to really, as she said, starting from her kitchen and, uh, with a concept and idea and taking it all the way into now, a CPG brand that is, has full distribution with Whole Foods. You know, as we think about that and we address challenges, there's so many learnings that can take place along the path. She really, uh, focused on knowing social media, blogging, bringing that into. Would love to hear a little bit of your thoughts on how that's important to incorporate with brands these days.

Allan: Yeah, it's really interesting. I was thinking about the same thing. Right. Like, we meet a lot of entrepreneurs who just had a vision and an idea. Um, but maybe they didn't have any background at all, and they end up being successful. And then you speak to people like Chitra, who was a trained marketer and had a husband doing package design. I think ultimately it comes down to passion and, um, persistence. I'm sure those things helped her out, but I bet you even without them, just after talking to her, she would have been successful.

Darcy: It is an interesting having that combination of the right people to start something, but then there is this aspect that the social media, you know, we've, I think in the last five episodes or so, we've had three or four that have really just talked about from adanos going viral from recipes in their kitchen. It has just given such a pathway not only to really producing a brand, but then getting in front of major retailers for distribution as well. You know, it used to be such a door knocking industry to even be considered to get on shelf. And nowadays, I feel like the retailers are out there also looking for these brands that are being disruptive.

Allan: Yeah, for sure. And in her case, you, uh, know, writing. Writing blogs is hard. Right. It takes a lot of time, but she's become a big part of that brand. You, uh, know, maybe you don't see it as much at shelf, but in the industry, I'm sure that's all helping her as well.

Chitra: Yeah.

Darcy: And in the international space, I think she's really hit on something. Is that with working with Blue Apron, such a strategic decision from, you know, being in a space with indian cuisine? Most individuals or consumers know that they can go out to an amazing indian restaurant and have great cuisine. There's a barrier there that's. There's some intimidation with cooking in your house or bringing flavors in your house that maybe you didn't grow up with or you don't know how to infuse with your food. So to be able to take that partnership, introduce, have recipes built around where they could introduce and sample their product is such a strategic move on their part. On top of, I have to say, I was just looking at all their recipes that they have on their website. Um, go to brooklanddelly.com because you will be blown away. They've done an amazing job of not only giving such a nod to traditional indian cuisine, but the infusion with some of Americans, um, favorites a burrata and cheese, but adding in some of their sauces and so forth. So a fun play on some very american dishes. A cheeseburger. Um, a, uh, sweet and spicy cheeseburger. Very, very interesting.

Allan: Yeah, that's cool. And somehow the creativity that she's bringing with those kinds of ideas, it doesn't really conflict with the authenticity, at least not for me as a shopper of one. Um, if anything, I'd rather buy from a small, innovative brand. I would trust the experience more. I would trust that it's a real experience than buying from a big multinational in the space.

Darcy: Yeah. And she's creating a use case.

Chitra: Right.

Darcy: If you're going to invest in a sauce or something's going in your refrigerator, it's not going to be something you're using once a month. Let's say for your traditional consumer, they may cook a couple indian dishes a month. You're investing in that and to be able to utilize it several times a week, meaning in your indian dishes. But on top of maybe your family's favorite dishes as well, she's got a hack on ramen, a different way to play things. So I feel like sky is the limit for this brand. It's exciting to see a power couple of two really changing what indian cuisine is and that providing a premium product out there to really educate us all.

Allan: Yeah, I'm going to be adding a char to taco night for sure.

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