Sweet obsession

For someone who started only recently, Delhi-based chocolatier, Shailesh Poddar is not doing badly. In August this year, he opened Belgique, a chocolate boutique at Gurgaon's Sahara Mall.

Two months later, he opened a stand-alone store on Delhi's M G Road even as he finalises plans to open a third outlet in Kathmandu in December. Poddar now says he's aiming to set up 10 more outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Ludhiana next year.

"In the first year, we expect a 200 per cent growth in business and are targeting chocolate sales of 500 kg a month," he says.

Besides, Poddar is also negotiating with a liquor company to launch a range of chocolates as a co-branding exercise and plans to expand business through the franchisee route.

At Rs 1,000 a kg, the chocolates don't come cheap. But Poddar feels that quality comes for a price. His survey showed that most home-made designer chocolates use vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter as a cooking ingredient.

Belgique, Poddar claims, only uses imported Callibaut cocoa butter from Belgium and Singapore and marzipan from Holland.

"Novelty sells and most people want expensive stuff. Which is why I've positioned Belgique as a lifestyle product," he adds.

Currently, Belgique has 175 chocolate recipes. For the Christmas season, he has introduced a new range of diet chocolates and truffles.

With import duties on chocolate slabs and cocoa butter coming down from 120 per cent to 30 per cent in the last few years, chocolate boutiques have sprouted in the metros.

Domestic chocolate brands like Fantasie, Choco Swiss, Chocolatiers and importers like Paatchi Chocolates and Leoni Das are all eyeing the retail market for business growth.