That Thursday dawned bright and beautiful for most of us, while some of us had butterflies in our stomachs and some intense jitters as well while trying to settle into the day. The events of the day were focused on one thing and one thing only. Our website was going live! This was an event that would literally put us on the map. It was the virtual way for us to shout from atop mountains that we were ready and Open For Business, It was an exciting and scary thought at the same time. We were beginning the process for real now. Reaching the homes of Indians in the UK like never seen before. A business that was born out of minds that missed the comfort of home. Yes, as Indians we’re very adept at adapting to any place on this massive globe, we’re known for that supreme quality but we’re also known for the way we always stay connected to our roots, the simple joys that we cherish as prized possessions.

A story comes to mind. A friend who moved away to another country always made sure they took back a tiny bottle of sand from the beach back home. She would tell me that it brought back great memories of childhoods spent in the sweltering summers running in the sand till their legs could no longer take it and then sitting down with friends to drink that famed lemon masala soda. This was a unique drink made in her home town. The ingredients were kept a secret for a long time by the shopkeepers in the area and after a lot of persuasion and of course some intense emotional blackmail, the information was divulged. When my friend learnt of the ingredients, she couldn’t believe it. They were simple ingredients that we would all find in our Mother’s kitchens, but the drink seemed like a concoction made in heaven. A simple mixture of salt, pepper, chilli powder, cinnamon & elaichi that was pre-infused in the lemon syrup the night before. The shopkeeper would just add this to the soda the next day and it was magic in liquid form. Every time I heard this story, I was caught by the way her face would light up while describing the memory and then, it hit me. This was a core memory of my friend’s childhood.

The drink might seem mundane to many and some might even question her taste but what we cannot deny is the intensity of our core memories. You might be wondering what this story has to do with our first week of business, we’ll get there very soon. As a company that promises to bring home closer, we thought it to be our responsibility to emphasize on the importance of building core memories like we did this week as we set up our site and saw all you wonderful people traversing it to your heart’s content and helped us take a step forward in our ingress into the world of online grocery shopping. Opening an Indian online grocery bazaar in the United Kingdom will hopefully help us bond with our unique customers and form many more Aha etched core memories. Now, don’t hold back. Start shopping for all those magical spices and ingredients that always brings us and keeps us connected to home. Be like my friend, recreate that magical recipe you have always cherished. Make your dish and share it with us! All a click away, let the Aha Moments begin…