Yogurt: Anant Ambani's pre-wedding feast and its Kerala connection

The three-day pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani, held in the first week of March, captivated global attention. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, various Bollywood actors, business icons, and cricketers had gathered to join the celebrations. Among the meticulously prepared world cuisine menu, the yogurt that was served to all these famous personalities came from a company in Kerala.

The yogurt served at the event belongs to Crèmberie, a dairy startup from Kochi owned by a young entrepreneur named Nahaz Basheer. Over 10,000 packs of 90-gram yogurts were airlifted to serve at the event.

Eight years ago, with a dream of being an entrepreneur, Nahaz quit his job in Qatar and returned to India. He realised yogurt has huge potential in the country. It took him three years to develop the product. Although the initiative was started in 2019, the product was launched in 2020, just before COVID-19. During this time, Nahaz distributed free samples of the product to gain the trust and confidence of his customers.

Although initially plain yogurt was introduced by the company, today fruit-based yogurts are the strength of Crèmberie. The introduction of Sambharam-flavoured yogurt under the name 'Travancore Tradition' also caught the attention of the market. They also produce lassi and curd.

Now the products are available in leading supermarkets and malls in Kerala. They are also available in a few supermarkets in Bengaluru, Coimbatore, and Chennai. Many five-star hotels have included Crèmberie in their breakfast buffet. Crèmberie yogurts have gained a place on a few flights by Lulu Flight Kitchen and Casino Air Caterers (CAFS). Their annual turnover for the company has reached Rs. 8 crore.

Nahaz, an Orumanayur (Thrissur) native, is the son of P.K. Basheer and Shaina Basheer. It is his dream to introduce more foreign dairy products to his own country. He also aims to grow Crèmberie into a company with a market presence in all of South India.