“A Premium Collection of Homemade and Handmade Products”
For most of us, a period of prolonged illness leaves us craving for a normal day and the ability to jump back to our old routine. But for siblings Thresi and Geoge Ramapuram, it turned out to be an unexpected beginning of their entrepreneurial journey.
Four years ago, when George was affected by a severe stomach illness away from home, Thresi and her father tried looking around for natural products that he could easily consume. “We were so surprised by how difficult they are to come by,” said Thresi as she talked about getting through this tough period. “We are basically from Coorg, and back at home, our mother made everything from scratch using what was available. We realized how valuable the products were that came to us easy,” she added. The siblings decided that once their ordeal was over they would create a space where such homemade and natural products were easily available. In 2016, they set up this space and called it The Earth Reserve.
Unique Products
The Earth Reserve is home to some very unique options like the Stewed Banana Jam, Passion Fruit Aperitif and the Salted Jaggery Butter. Most of the products that you see on the website are curated and made by Geroge and Thresi’s mother, Sheela Ramapuram in her kitchen in Coorg.
Using what is local and seasonal, The Earth Reserve manufactures these products in small batches, keeping the whole process close to home. “Traditionally also we have such varied products. In Kerala for example, we make this stewed banana jam in which we boil the bananas and then the mixture goes through a cotton muslin cloth and is further processed using sugar and spices. These are the kind of products we want to make and make them the right way. Otherwise, what are we bringing to the table?,” questioned Thresi.
Today The Earth Reserve team is joined by many local artisans and homemakers who bring their exciting products to The Earth Reserve’s shelves. “These are people who we know and we can 100% trust. They share our vision and value good food,” said Thresi.
@TheEarthReserve on finding the natural, local and seasonal way of doing things. Click To Tweet
Behind the curtains, The Earth Reserve team works hard to bring forth jams, pickles, spreads and preserves with ingredients like lovi lovi or the batoko plum, hog plum, mulberry, bird’s eye chili and others that are procured from their estate in Coorg. They source organic spices from a farmer in North Karnataka who heard about their work and wanted to be a part of The Earth Reserve’s journey. Along with spices products like sun-dried banana bites and jackfruit papads are sourced from this farm.
Being natural, local and seasonal
“This is not just food, it’s art,” said Thresi talking about the entire process of The Earth Reserve. “There is constant innovation going on in our kitchens. Whenever I go home my mother shares some of her trials with me. It is her passion that drives this platform. In fact, all our artisans are all truly passionate about what they do. That’s how you come up with such unique products,” she added.
Of course, not all trials make it to their product shelves, but when the team does approve of something they take a few months to see how the product behaves with storage. “We check for texture, taste and how it behaves with refrigeration. As there no preservatives, it is a challenge. But it is important to us that we make is natural. “
Apart from being all natural, this team endeavours to work with the seasons, even if it means that products become unavailable temporarily depending on the time of the year. “Sometimes you will find that our mulberry preserve is out of season for a good part of the year,” said Thresi as an example. Many people do email them about products that are out of season which reflects on how we are so used to getting what we want, when we want.
It’s this commitment that brings customers from all over the country to The Earth Reserve’s doors. You can order their products on Amazon, Place Of Origin, Qtrove and Bigbasket among other online portals. Their products are also available in select organic stores across Bangalore city. Better yet, just spend a few minutes on their website. Trust me, it’s a visual treat!
Thresi shared that customers often message them not just about the products they love, but also about how they have found different ways to use them. “Recently, someone messaged us saying they loved our Passion Fruit juice and used it to make a sangria that came out great. This was something we had never thought of. It’s always fun for us when people share their recipes using our products.”
As The Earth Reserve continues to grow its product list, this family team is making sure customers find something they are craving for in their digital store. “Our dream though is,” said Thresi as we wrapped up the interview, “that whenever someone thinks of buying a natural product, they should think of us.”
Featured Image Courtesy: The Earth Reserve Facebook Page
For more information visit: The Earth Reserve. They also have a line of bath and body products which were not covered in this article.