From woofs to wows: Meet the chefs of Pune who cook for pets

An alumnus of the Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai, Chandiok is a seasoned chef and has working experience with several big names in the hotel industry.

“Like many other first-time pet parents, I also fed Harley (my pet) the standard pellets and accepted the advice of my veterinarian and the dog store proprietors as gospel,” Chandiok remarked, adding, “After observing his lack of interest in the food, I wondered if I would enjoy eating something dry and extruded every day. This is when I thought of making something fresh for Harley.”

When Harley finished the bowl

Harley’s finishing the bowl in no time gave Chandiok confidence to experiment and soon he came up with a four-time meal.

During the time Chandiok was living at a pet-friendly society in Mumbai, and would often cook a little extra and hand them out to other pet parents in the building.

“It was a big hit and soon I started getting calls from pet parents enquiring about what I was cooking and if they could place an order with me. That is how my ready-to-eat wet dog food brand was born,” says Chandiok.

Pranav Modi, a pet parent and committed customer of Chandiok recalled how he discovered Harley’s Corner. “After my pet, Blu, an American Bully, was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), my pet doctor suggested that I try Harley’s Corner. The fact that the food can be stored outside a fridge and still is 100 per cent natural is a great benefit. Overall, Blu is quite obsessed with his meals now,” said Modi.

‘Pets enjoy fresh food as much as humans’

Sonal Zalkikar, originally an IT professional based in Pune, came up with Pet Feast in the year 2016. Like Harley’s Corner, Pet Feast too provides healthy food for pets.

Sharing her story, she says, “Roxy, my pet was diagnosed with kidney ailment and stopped eating. That’s when I came up with home cooked recipes, which somehow got him to eat.”

Zalkikar adds, “Pets enjoy fresh food as much as we do. It’s just we need to make it more accessible.”

With a website and delivery service in and around Pune, Pet Feast provides food that has no sugar, salt and gluten.

Home-cooked meals and a fight against pet obesity

Pet obesity is a developing issue, and eating home-cooked meals can help with weight management, experts say. Customized home diets can support pets in regulating their caloric intake and preserving a healthy weight, they add.

Shweta Rao, 39 years, Founder of Bow Wow Chow, says, “Most pet parents confuse pellets with meals and that’s the problem. Pellets mostly have grains which are fillers. It’s like handing your kid a pack of biscuits or chips to snack on.”

Bow Wow Chow, a brand for pets based in Pune, has a distinguishable menu for pets. From Pizza to Pav Bhaji, it customises everything, considering the health of your pet.

“We don’t add any colour to our meals even if it says ‘natural’ because most of it is made out of pea flowers, which is not meant for your furry friends,” says Rao.