REMEMBERING SUBI
A story behind the brand SUBI’S
Pune, India circa the 1990s. “Let’s try this idea out, together”, was the line most commonly exchanged between my elder sister Subodhini and me. Some ideas succeed, some are abandoned. What’s constant though was the excitement of starting something new, together.
A few years later, in 2002 when I moved to New Zealand it was assumed that she and her family would follow. And we would start a food business from our new homeland. Why food? Simply because she is hands down the best cook I have known to date. No one had ever left her home without a full stomach and a happy heart. She created magic with her hands. And memories of a lifetime.
I stick to the plan. As the first step of our dream venture, I start one of its kind food caravans, “Soul Curry” in Auckland. It becomes an instant hit with its menu of never-sold-in-New-Zealand-before Indian delicacies. From varieties of chat to wada-pav to masala dosas, the food caravan becomes the talk of the town.
All this while, she’s sharing her expertise with me over long-distance phone calls. “In one direction only, either clockwise or anti-clockwise. That’s the key to a perfect dosa”, she instructs, trying her best to break it down to the minutest details. I couldn’t wait for her to join me here in New Zealand.
But it’s not for nothing that John Lennon had said, “life is what happens when you are busy making other plans”.
As the food caravan business grew in Auckland, something else, unknown to any of us, was growing in Pune. Cancer had found her. Over the next severely painful months it ravaged her body. Eventually, on 24th November 2005, we lost her. My friend, my guide, my mentor, was gone. My sister was gone forever.
The food caravan gave way to Curry Mantra, an award-winning, unique Marathi cuisine restaurant in New Zealand. I got to work with renowned chefs and be associated with the most successful Indian restaurant brands in New Zealand. This was coupled with some true path-breaking work, like introducing molecular gastronomy to Indian cuisine.
But the dream that we had dared to dream together never left me. I wanted to do something innovative in the Indian food space. But something that would help create beautiful memories for everyone who had it. That’s when I heard the mention of “paan ice cream”, from a friend who had returned from India. And I got my answer.
I decided to start an ice cream line with Indian flavours. I named it Subi's after Subi - my mother’s nickname for my sister. She became my 'Annapurna', the goddess of food and nourishment when I needed it the most. Now, this is my tribute to her.
Today Subi’s Desserts is the only made-in New Zealand brand that proudly produces premium ice cream based on exciting Indian spices and flavours. They are, Meetha Paan, Kesar Pista, Chickoo, Anjir Badam, and several more. We will soon reveal a range of premium Indian mithai, the kinds that haven’t been seen before.
As part of our commitment to helping create beautiful memories, we also donate a part of our sales to patients, especially children and women afflicted with cancer.
Subi’s is the story of love and relations. Of shared dreams and joys sprinkled with a topping of sorrow. Just like life is. What better way to tell this story, than with the creamy scoop of ice cream?
