A Success Story from Kerala.
Brijith Krishnan, a farmer and entrepreneur from Kerala, founded Eatery Malbarikas in 2021, after facing significant personal and professional challenges.
Unseasonal rains in 2020 devastated his 13-acre cashew farm in Kannur. He also lost his job as a supervisor in an IT company.
Determined to survive, Brijith identified a critical gap in the market: the lack of value-added products for wet cashews, which often were wasted.
He experimented with the sprouting technology for cashewnuts with guidance from the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) and Kerala Agriculture University.
He was able to extend the germination potential of cashews from 90 days to 180-200 days, inspired by Japanese retorting technology, which preserves food by heat-treating it in airtight containers.
With an initial investment of ₹1 lakh and a ₹25 lakh grant from the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) scheme, he launched Eatery Malbarikas.
The startup now offers an array of cashew-based products, including sprout Manchurian, butter masala, and pickles.
In 2023, Eatery Malbarikas achieved a turnover of ₹25 crores, providing sustainable solutions for local farmers, while catering to niche markets through partnerships with chefs and catering companies.
