I got so carried away reading the tips in MTR Foods’ recipe portal ‘Dishcovery’ that I almost missed the deadline for finishing this article! Where else can you get mouth-watering recipes, ‘origin’ or ‘first use’ historical facts, explanations for the significance of some ingredients, and get-it-right tips, amongst others, all in one spot?
The start
The MTR story began with three brothers who left their village Parampalli in Karnataka and went to Bengaluru in search of better prospects. Parameshwara Maiya, Ganappaya Maiya and Yajnanarayana Maiya reached Bengaluru in 1920 and being proficient in the culinary arts, found employment as cooks.
The story would have ended there had it not been for Parameshwara’s employer, who is said to have given him the incentive to start his own restaurant. Ganappaya joined him in the venture and the ‘Brahmin’s Coffee House’ was thus born in 1924.
Upon Parameshwara’s death some years later, Yajnanarayana joined Ganappaya in running the small restaurant that served delicious coffee and idlis. The latter then decided to return to his village in 1936, and under Yajnanarayana, the restaurant grew in name and fame.
A tour of European restaurants in 1951 is said to have made a great impression on him. He renamed his restaurant the ‘Mavalli Tiffin Rooms’ (MTR), brought in steam sterilisation of utensils and crockery, insisted on a the maintenance of certain standard of personal hygiene and sanitation, and even distributed booklets to drive home the importance of the same.
A bold move
In a rare move in those days, he threw open the kitchen for customers to critically inspect the same. He even introduced the novel method of having customers enter the restaurant through the kitchen (redolent of spicy fragrances), so that they could see the high standards of cleanliness.
In 1960, MTR shifted to Lalbagh Road, where it remains even today. The running of the restaurant passed into the hands of the next generation, Harishchandra and Sadananda, the nephew and son, respectively, of Yajnanarayana. It is said that MTR was so popular, even politically important persons stood in queue to wait for their turn to sample the delicious dishes.
The turning point came during the Emergency in 1975, when all restaurants were ordered to reduce rates under the Food Control Act. Many complied, sacrificing quality to stay afloat. MTR reduced its rates but refused to compromise on quality and maintained its high standards for all of 16 days, highlighting its losses each day.
Drastic rethinking
Then it was forced to close. But it did not wish to lay off its dedicated employees or lose its customer base, built up so carefully over the years. Some drastic rethinking was required.
Some of the employees were absorbed into a small grocery store attached to the restaurant. The idea of diversification was born when, in a pioneering move, MTR used its expertise and set other employees to preparing a dry mix for ‘rava idli’, entering the world of packaged foods.
The product became a hit with customers. When the Emergency was lifted in 1977 and the restaurant reopened, Sadananda decided to continue in the packaged foods line with other dry food mixtures and spices, launching MTR Foods; other family members ran the restaurant. Initially, the products were sold through the MTR grocery shop. But by 1983, famous outlets like Nilgiri’s and Vijaya Bakery started stocking MTR Foods’ products.
The business, launched naturally, depended on the goodwill and name the restaurant business had built up; but in a few years, it proved its worth, making its mark with signature products like rava idli mix and instant gulab jamun mix. The fact that its products were 100 per cent vegetarian and natural added to the popularity.
Growth and expansion
Further expansion to other southern states followed even as MTR Foods started supplying to tech firms in Bengaluru. By 1991, the company had set up its own production unit. A dedicated lab and printing and packaging facilities, all of which are managed through efficient software (SAP), followed.
The MTR brand came to stand for two separate entities — the MTR restaurant business and MTR Foods, with the latter having overtaken the former in both popularity and sales.
Today, MTR Foods has grown to cover a wide range of products across all meal occasions, like ready-to-eat curries, rice and cooking gravies; frozen food; instant mixes; spices; milk beverages; desserts; and snacks.
Promoting Indian breakfast
MTR Foods has tried to wean the Indian consumer away from western ready-to-eat dishes like cereals, seen as easier quick-fix options, when compared with traditional Indian dishes like dosa, upma, and poha. The company has come up with ready-to-eat versions of several Indian breakfast varieties, meals and dessert mixes.
According to Nielsen, MTR is the national leader in breakfast and dessert mixes. MTR Foods recently introduced a three-minute breakfast in six Indian variants — Poha, Khatta Meetha Poha, Oats Homestyle Masala, Kesari Halwa, Vegetable Upma and Magic Masala Upma.
Extensive research goes into every product: the company’s chefs visit individual households to learn firsthand from housewives the methodology used for preparing specific products. Recipes are then compared and standard ingredients and preparation times checked and matched. MTR Foods then sets out to find the common factor that pleases all consumers and comes up with its ready-to-eat version.
The company uses the life sciences technology transferred to them by DRDO’s Defence Food Research laboratory (Mysore) for packing. No preservatives are used in this ‘retort’ method, which gives the products that ‘just cooked’ freshness that makes for great taste. Almost all such products can be stored at room temperature, with no refrigeration required. These not only satisfy the consumer’s palate but also fit into the clock-driven daily schedule of the modern man/woman.
Global presence
The consistency and high standards of quality have ensured that MTR spread its wings to other parts of the country as well (acquiring Pune-based Rasoi Magic for its meal mixes segment along the way).
Not only does it have a pan-India appeal, but it also has an impressive global presence in about 30 countries like the US, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Japan, the Middle East and South East Asian countries. It is planning to enter Africa in a big way. Exports form 10 per cent of the business.
MTR Foods has carried on the tradition of impeccable hygiene and absolute cleanliness first seen in MTR restaurants. It has the ISO 9002, ISO 22000 and HACCP (a global food safety & hygiene standard) certifications, and goes to great lengths to ensure employee safety and health. Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) assessments are regularly carried out.
The green side
It also introduced environment-friendly measures by reducing waste and recycling where possible. Diverse sustainability initiatives like a solar photo-voltaic power plant, conversion of boiler fuel from diesel to bio-mass and other such steps have been undertaken to reduce CO2 emissions and power consumption.
It has its own online store and a retail chain named ‘Namma MTR’, present in three formats: one displaying the entire product range; another, a ‘concept’ kitchen where customers can interact with chefs and see live demonstrations, get their queries clarified and other such facilities; and the third offering fast food varieties.
Recently, MTR Foods tied up with HOPCOMS (Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society) to source a daily supply of vegetables and fruits directly. The arrangement benefits MTR as well: HOPCOMS will display their products across all their outlets in Bengaluru.
It also partnered with Akshaya Patra in 2015-16 to provide mid-day meals to students in 20 schools at Suratkal in Karnataka (the initiative was called Namma Makkalu, Namma MTR).
Take over
MTR Foods was taken over by Nordic conglomerate Orkla in 2007. It is currently a ₹700 crore company, with a compounded annual growth rate of 18 per cent. It continues to research and innovate with region-specific products and hopes to touch ₹2,000 crores by 2020, even as it retains its vegetarian label. Its Dishcovery portal is also trending on Twitter and making (aromatic) waves.