Mother's Recipe may be best known for its pickles today, but it all began in a Wada, a traditional Maharashtrian house, in Pune's Kasba Peth area.
The family came to Pune from Gujarat and started its business in 1901, which was founded by Haribhai V. Desai. The company started with a tobacco business and later expanded to several other sectors, including food processing.
In 2002, Desai Brothers acquired Mother's Recipe and since then it has been offering so much to Indian households. The brand sells papad, chutneys, cooking pastes, curry powders, instant mixes, sharbat, ready-to-cook foods and sauces. Its products are now sold in more than 42 countries.
“At that point in time, pickles were available only in Maharashtra and a few other states. The family wanted to diversify and the food business was a growth sector we were looking at,” Sanjana Desai, Head, Business Development, Food Division, Desai Brothers, told Your Story.
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“My father took over the business first and I remember seeing him going to the mandis at four in the morning and checking the mangoes that went into making the pickles,” she added. The team studied how people cook in different parts of India, including the spices, oils and methods they use.
In 2015, it bought Kolkata-based Elmac Agro Manufacturing for Rs 30 crore, bringing sauces into its range. It later acquired Spreadon and entered the spreads and dips market.
Along with the campaign, Mother's Recipe has also changed the packaging of all 64 pickle varieties. The new designs take inspiration from Indian homes and the way mothers make pickles.
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The packs feature designs inspired by the bangles mothers wear, the colors of traditional sarees and brass utensils found in Indian kitchens. The brand has also added the names of all 64 pickle varieties in regional languages on the labels.
The new packaging follows the idea of Swaad Mamta Ka, which means the taste of a mother's love.
“For generations, Mother's Recipe pickles have stood for authenticity, nostalgia, and the unmistakable flavors of mother's love,” Sanjana said.