With German sausages, French duck breasts and homegrown chicken, Francis Menezes is cashing in on the growing appetite for meat among Indians -- even in one of Mumbai’s most strictly vegetarian areas.
In the upmarket neighbourhood of Malabar Hill, numerous shops, restaurants and even some apartment blocks remain meat-free.
But Menezes, co-manager of the Cafe Ridge food store, says he does a brisk trade in “non-veg”, especially with those who have studied abroad.
“Things like Thanksgiving, which was never celebrated over here in Mumbai, is now being celebrated every year. The new generation are cool with eating anything,” he said.
India’s booming middle-class is driving the demand for meat in a country with a traditionally low intake -- a survey in 2006 showed that 40 per cent of the population were vegetarian.
Fish and meat have long been part of other Indians’ diets but for many they used to be a rarity, said Arvind Singhal, chairman of the consumer consultancy group Technopak Advisors.