Doggies’ dabbawalla!
Nothing is more heart-breaking for a pet parent than your furry baby refusing to chew the dog food pellets in his bowl, and sitting with you, googly eyed — drooling over the food leftovers on your plate! You deny him of your yummy food, knowing that it might harm the dog. And yet, you are pained by his craving for something tastier and more flavourful than the dry, drab dog food you offer.
Well, Chef Ishmeet Singh Chandiok has solved your dilemma. Named after his adopted Indie dog Harley, Ishmeet’s pet venture Harley’s Corner offers healthy and flavourful everyday meals for dogs, besides gourmet treats like cakes, waffles, ice-creams and soups.
Gourmet goodies for canines
Launched in 2012, Harley’s Corner has a range of gourmet food for canines, including activated charcoal treats, beef jerky meals, India’s first ‘DIY’ doggy cake kit and more. The subscription plans are divided into Basic, Advanced and Premium, comprising various combinations that the pet parent can choose from. The plans are for one, three and six months, and come with multiple offerings like free shipping, free treats etc. One can choose from three subscription models, wherein a monthly plan, which has 30 meals costs ~3,900, the three-month plan consists of 95 meals and costs ~11,400, and the six-month plan with 190 meals costs ~22,800.
Tugging at his heartstrings
Born into a Parsi-Sikh household, furry friends were always an integral part of Ishmeet’s big ancestral home in Pune. In Mumbai, however, a smaller home denied him the chance to own a pet dog. “It was at a construction site near my office in 2009 when I first saw Harley. A few rounds to this site and this little puppy would keep trying to chew on my laces and tug at my trousers,” says Ishmeet, a campaigner for the adoption of stray animals. All that tugging went straight into Ishmeet’s heart and he adopted this stray puppy, “I named him Harley, after my love for the motorcycle brand, Harley Davidson,” recollects the chef.
After welcoming Harley home, Ishmeet literally become his pet’s ‘pawpa’, calling him Harley puttar (son)! No wonder, the loving chef pampered his doggie baby with homecooked meals. “Harley would avoid the pellets and eagerly wait for leftover scraps from us. I started pondering that when I couldn’t eat the same flavour every day, how could I do that to my dog? That’s when I got into cooking for Harley. I pulled out recipes from the Internet and started experimenting. Harley loved it and would finish his meal in no time.”
Three months on a home-cooked diet and Harley started losing weight. “When I checked with the vet, he told me Harley had never been in a better shape. He advised that a dog on a home-style diet could live three years longer. For a pet owner, it is priceless.” Buoyed by the vet’s acknowledgement, Chandiok started reading up online, connected with canine nutritionists and did a course on dog nutrition.
Turning dog chef
Living in a pet-friendly society in Mumbai, Chandiok often cooked a little extra for the other pet parents in the building. “I started getting calls from pet parents enquiring if they could place an order with me. This was what led to my Eureka moment of deciding to become a dog chef,” reveals Ishmeet, the canine chef-nutritionist who has founded Harley’s Corner — India’s first ready-to-eat wet dog food brand.
In 2010, Ishmeet got in touch with the Mumbai dabbawallas delivered his dog meals to various homes across Mumbai. “Dog chef soon became my social media identity. I realised I was far happier cooking for dogs than humans. I have a very loyal customer base in them. They polish off the meal and sit beside you waiting for their next,” smiles the ‘petpreneur’, who launched his packaged food variants in 2012. The food packets now have a shelf life of one year, when stored at room temperature, with no preservatives or additives and are shipped across the country.
Harley’s Corner is the only brand that uses ‘100 per cent human grade ingredients’ in all their meals. “The meat, vegetables and rice we use are fit for human consumption too. This in itself takes the nutritional value, taste and quality to far superior levels,” says a proud Ishmeet.
Sloppy licks, wagging tails
So, what are the biggest challenges in dog food business? “Dogs are creatures of habit. Getting them to change their food can get very difficult. Also, dogs get attracted to food through smell before taste. So, while we use the latest technology to ensure the food is 100 per cent preservative and additive free, we ensure capturing the sensuous aroma of the food when cooked,” says the 40-year-old dog chef, who has worked with brands like the Hyatt, JW Marriott and Kingfisher Airlines.
“However, I personally feel dogs are far better customers than humans – they don’t complain about masala, taste, salt, etc. If they like the food, you are rewarded with a large sloppy lick and a wagging tail asking for more food!” laughs Ishmeet, whose dream retirement plan is to buy a few hectares of land and build a sanctuary for all the abandoned dogs of India.
