SRINAGAR, Aug 18: Call it fallout of the rotten food scandal, eating out trends across Kashmir have witnessed a dramatic shift in Kashmir.
Non-vegetarian dishes are fast disappearing from dining tables, while vegetarian meals and beverages are hot on the plate.
Jammu and Kashmir government seized and destroyed thousands of kilograms of unhygienic meat. The scandal shook public confidence in restaurant kitchens. Very less people gather the courage to dine at a restaurant now, which has resulted in a dip in the sales of food outlets.
Ishaq Ahmad Bhat, a restaurant owner who sells premier non-vegetarian dishes, said his customers’ preferences have changed to veg for the last one week.
The restaurateur said sales have dipped sharply, particularly for non-vegetarian delicacies that once dominated their menus.
“I used to sell dozens of plates of shawarma, chicken alfahm, and mutton dishes every day. Now people only ask for paneer-mushroom or simple dal-chawal. Customers are reluctant to order anything non-vegetarian. They feel safer with vegetarian food and drinks,” said Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, a Srinagar-based restaurant owner. “
Even the Restaurant Association of Kashmir has confirmed the slump in business. Its president, Sheikh Feroz, said that beverages are in much demand.
“Restaurants have suffered heavy losses. Those who still come to dine mostly order tea and coffee. Non-veg sales have almost collapsed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the vegetarian restaurants and dhabas have cashed in on the current situation; they said their customer base has increased over the last one week.
“We get to hear good comments from our customers. Our sales have increased while our customer base, which was limited to mostly non-locals, has increased. We get local customers who mostly order dal-shawal, lassi, shahi, paneer, and desserts,” said Basjarat Ahmad Bhat, a dhaba owner in Tangmarg.
Pertinently, the Jammu and Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association sought a complete ban on unbranded frozen meat and chicken entering J&K. It demanded the establishment of a certified testing laboratory at Lakhanpur, and mandatory real-time checks for freshness, expiry, hygiene, and compliance with food safety standards.
