Where can you find a variety of gourmet food and beverages, mindfully sourced lifestyle products from brands across the country, and fun activities all under one (covered) roof? At The Pune Market by Karen Anand - Monsoon Edition 2019, organised at The Mills, Raja Bahadur Mill Road, to be held on July 27 (3 - 10 pm) and 28 (12 noon - 10pm).
Along with usual favourites like fresh vegetables, salads and herbs by Green Tokri, unadulterated cow milk by Pride of Cow, artisanal farm to bar chocolates from Kerala by Paul & Mike, single varietal honey by Honey Roots from Ahmedabad, and more, you will also find a whole lot of new brands.
Food and beverage consultant Karen Anand, curator of the event, says, “In fact, most of the vendors are new at this Pune Market. Pottery Den with hand-made pottery, Cedar Organics India with bath and body care and Prasadhak for natural wellness products, Coco Soul with coconut chips, coconut oil and spreads, Fittify health products promoted by Kunal Kapur, Rolling Nature and Monstera Inc with beautiful plants, and Baileys farm-to-home milk.”
Sharing her list of must-haves, she says, “I love the new Coco Soul products. Cherries and avocados are two of my favourite things and we have them at the market this time. I am very happy that we have so many people offering a variety of plants. I highly recommend the designer jewellery by Mumbai-based brand House of Meraki. Since I have a weakness for dark chocolate, I love the brand from Kerala, Paul & Mike. Green Tokri is also doing a great service with home delivery of all their salads and fresh vegetables.”
The market promotes sustainable, eco-friendly products. “Sustainability in the food industry involves everything from the way you grow, the supply chain, manufacturing, packing and distribution. The awareness needs to be ingrained at all these levels in order to protect the environment. The only way you can encourage this is talking about it and maybe even make it fashionable so that people follow it. For example, eating foods that are grown locally is not only healthier but also encourages the local community,” she says, adding, “It also helps that natural and organic products are not as expensive as they used to be, so the margin between ordinary and quality products is getting less.”
The line-up of restaurants include monster pizza slices by Bubsterrs, delicious burgers by Burger Craft, a range of Chinese delicacies by Wicked China, creative wraps and rolls by Aufside and Mahlzheit, and a variety of home-made pav sandwiches by Pack-A-Pav. New on this list are Zeta (Hyatt Regency) offering European eats, Harajuku (The O Hotel) with some exclusive Japanese dishes, and Cinco the cocktail and lounge bar.
The event will also feature live performances by finalists from the TV show STAGE 3 amongst others, and a stand-up comedy act by the hilarious Saurav Mehta. And like the previous editions of the event, visitors can also sign up for workshops hosted by fabulous chefs who will be teaching tips and tricks of the trade. This will be followed by The Great Food quiz, a fun and interactive activity on food. To shake things up a bit, there will be an energetic Zumba dance workshop hosted by MultiFit during the afternoon. You can also drop your kids off at the Safari Kid workshop, where they are bound to have a blast while you get on with your shopping and merry-making. And the market is open to pets only on Saturday.
To make your pocket as happy as your tummy, the market will offer happy hours at all bars, flash deals at all stalls, and free drinking games. This will be valid for visitors who walk in between 3 and 5 pm on Saturday and between 12 noon and 3 pm on Sunday.
