Brijith Krishna, at the age of 47, launched a food startup called Eatery Malabarikas LLP after losing his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His startup specializes in protein-rich sprouted cashews. Let’s delve into the success journey of this dedicated entrepreneur who strongly faces tough challenges and manages to generate an annual turnover of Rs 25 lakh.
Early Life & Background
Brijith originally from Kerala, comes from a family that was involved in cashew farming. Before losing his job, he was working as a supervisor in an IT company. When everything was going well COVID-19 pandemic hit the world.
Many lives were affected. One of them was Brijith, who lost his job. His second source of income was cashew farming, which was also affected by the pandemic.
At the age of 47, he faced deep troubles, and soon, the situation became worse. He was unable to find a stable source of income. Being a vegetarian, he realized there was a lack of protein-rich options in a vegan diet. From this, he got the idea to launch a food startup that focuses on protein-rich sprouted cashews, especially for vegans.
Launch of Eatery Malabarikas by Brijith Krishna
In 2021, Brijith officially launched his startup Kajusprouty under Eatery Malabarikas LLP. They provide a unique variety of cashew dishes.
By supplying food items to several hotels and food supply companies in cities like Mumbai, Kerala, and Bengaluru, the company gained immense popularity. In addition to this, they also use e-commerce platforms like Amazon, JioMart, and IndiaMart to sell their products like pickle green cashews, choco cashews, pista cashews, and brined sprouted cashews.
Utilities Advanced Technology
Coming from a family of cashew farmers. He was very well familiar with the difficulties faced by local farmers when wet cashews return unsold. So, along with the Cashew Research Station of Kerala Agriculture University, he came up with a technology through which the germinability potential of cashew nuts was extended for more than 90 days.
Since wet cashew nuts sprout faster, it is easy to store them for more days and put them under the sprouting process whenever required. Using the technology, he prevents wet cashews from going to waste. His food startup uses those cashews to create healthy and value-added food products.
Apart from this, Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) also helps in boosting the venture. Brijith obtained Rs 25 lakh from the central government for the project.
Expanded the Venture
Today, the Eatery Malabarikas expanded its business by adding value-added products like curries, milkshakes, and salads. Not just this, they also offer cashew sprouts Manchurian, cashew sprouts Malabar masala, cashew sprouts theyal, cashew sprouts soup premix, cashew sprouts malai, and cashew sprouts schezwan. Prices for these sprouted cashews are around Rs 1000 per kg.
Achievements
For his outstanding work and healthy food Startup Brijith has earned ISO 22000:2018 and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification.
Spreading the Knowledge: Brijith Became the Trainer
Brijith is not only focused on expanding his venture but also on supporting local farmers by buying their wet cashews. Later, he transformed the waste cashews into high-quality sprouted cashews. Apart from this, he also became a trainer of small farmers.
He provides free training and shares his knowledge and expertise with them. Through his efforts and willingness, Brijith succeeds in becoming a successful entrepreneur and giving his family a good and happy life. His annual turnover is around Rs 25 lakh for FY 2024. In the coming years, he is aiming to expand his reach.
