Many importers and ethnic food brands know exactly the taste they want for their shelf, but not how to get it made at scale in India. This is the usual path from an idea to a loaded container, and what you can do at each step to save time.
Step 1: Write a short brief
A good brief is one page. Include the product type (curry, pickle, frozen breakfast item, snack or sauce), the taste you are after, any reference product you like, the pack format and size, your destination country and a rough first-order quantity. If you already have a home recipe, share it as it is, even if the quantities are in cups and spoons. We can work from that.
- Vegetarian or non-vegetarian, and any ingredients you do not want used.
- Heat level and regional style (for example Malabar, Travancore or a general South Indian profile).
- Pack: retort pouch, jar, frozen tray or another format, and the unit weight.
- Target shelf life and how the product will be stored in your market.
Step 2: Kitchen trials
A recipe that works for four people in a home kitchen rarely scales unchanged. In trials, the recipe is cooked in small batches and adjusted for batch cooking, consistency, colour and taste. You taste, comment and we refine. Two or three rounds is normal, and clear feedback such as "less sour, more pepper" moves things much faster than "make it better".
Step 3: Adapting for shelf life
This is the step most first-time brand owners do not expect. A dish that is delicious fresh may need small changes in oil, acidity, moisture or cooking method to stay stable in its pack. For retort pouch products, the pack is heat-processed after sealing, so the recipe is tuned for that process. For pickles, salt, acidity and oil level matter. We tell you what we change and why, so the taste you approved stays the taste you ship.
Step 4: Samples by air
Once you approve the trial, sample units can be sent by air courier to you, your buyer or your food consultant. Many importers use this stage to test with a few customers before committing to a production run. Share your feedback in writing so the final specification is clear.
Step 5: Label and pack planning for your market
Labelling rules differ between countries: language, ingredient order, allergen statements, net weight format and importer details. Tell us the destination early so the label artwork and carton are planned from the start rather than changed at the end. If you want private label, send your brand name, logo and artwork.
Step 6: Production and shipping
After approval of the sample, label and quantity, the first production run is planned and packed. Shipments go from Cochin or Vizhinjam. If you also want products from our standard range, such as Kerala pickles or frozen Kerala breakfast, ask us about combining them with your custom product in one consignment.
Keeping your recipe confidential
Your recipe is your brand's asset. We sign an NDA on request before you share the brief, and we are happy to do so at the very first conversation.
Start with a one-page brief
Farmour Ventures is ISO 22000:2018 certified, holds an FSSAI Central licence and an active IEC, and enquiries are open for importers and private-label brands. Read about our custom food manufacturing and R&D service, see how ready-to-eat products are stored in our retort pouch storage guide, and send your brief on WhatsApp +91 82899 93000 or through the enquiry form.