Chris Zandee (Himalayan Products)

We’re travelling in a new direction on this episode, and not just because the brand we’re featuring on the show today is based in Kashmir. Happy to announce that Voices For Local will now be eating and drinking its way into the food & beverage industry! To kick this off, Monisha speaks to Chris Zandee, the founder of Himalayan Products, who makes natural artisan cheese from fresh Himalayan milk. It’s a story of a Dutchman who combines Dutch and local cheesemaking traditions to empower communities with their own skill-sets. Chris gives us a background on the kinds of cheese he makes, the lessons he learnt while setting up a business as a foreigner in India, and how the pandemic impacted his business in the mountains.

To check out Himalayan Products’ work, log onto their website himalayancheese.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @himalayancheese. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram.

CREDITS:

Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram)

This is a Maed in India production.

Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni

Audio Editor: Aditya Arya

Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Husein Haveliwala