Bhookle, a pioneering platform connecting home chefs with food lovers, has been honoured with the Best Food Delivery App of the Year award at the Food Connoisseurs India Awards 2024. This prestigious accolade, judged by 16 veterans of the food and beverage industry, recognises Bhookle’s unique approach to delivering authentic, homemade meals with a personal touch.

This award holds special significance for Bhookle, a young startup based in Chennai. Competing against eight national players in the food delivery industry, Bhookle stood out for its innovation, social impact, and focus on promoting home-cooked meals. With a mission to empower home chefs and connect them to a wider audience, Bhookle has redefined the food delivery landscape, creating a community-centric platform where food is more than just a menu item—it’s a story.

“This award reaffirms that what we’re doing at Bhookle is truly unique,” said Arvind Ravichandran, Co-Founder of Bhookle. “Despite being limited to Chennai while our competitors operate nationwide, this recognition shows that our concept is welcome pan-India. We are thrilled that industry veterans and customers alike believe in our vision to revolutionise the food industry.”

What sets Bhookle apart from other food delivery platforms is its human-first approach. Unlike traditional apps that focus on standard menu items, Bhookle offers customers the chance to discover homemade meals with a personal story. For instance, instead of ordering ‘sambar’, Bhookle users can order ‘Vidhya Aunty’s Special Arachivitta Sambar’. This approach adds a layer of love, memory, and authenticity to every meal, creating a dining experience that goes beyond convenience.

Bhookle caters to a largely unstructured segment of the food industry: home-cooked meals. Through its intuitive platform, it bridges the gap between home chefs and customers craving something unique, healthy, and nostalgic. The app emphasises quality and safety, with each home chef vetted for FSSAI compliance and kitchen hygiene.

The award is not just a win for Bhookle but also for the home chefs who power the platform. Upon receiving the award, Bhookle dedicated the recognition to its chefs, crediting them for the platform’s success.

“Our chefs are the real stars,” Arvind added. “Their talent and passion drive Bhookle, and this award belongs to them.”

This recognition has fuelled discussions around Bhookle’s potential to become a unicorn—a startup valued at over a billion dollars. With increasing interest from top chefs, a 2X surge in app downloads, and significant investor enquiries post-award, Bhookle is poised for rapid expansion. The platform is actively exploring partnerships and gearing up to scale beyond Chennai, with plans to launch in Bengaluru by 2024 and expand to three more tier-one cities by 2025.

Bhookle features inspiring stories like that of Chef Sujatha Sriram, who uses her earnings to feed stray dogs, and Chef Sangeetha, a single mother who supports her children’s education through her income on Bhookle. These success stories highlight the platform’s commitment to making a positive impact on local economies and fostering financial independence for home chefs.

“This award is not just a recognition of our past achievements but a validation of our future potential,” said Arvind. “We are committed to scaling Bhookle across India while maintaining the quality and soul of our platform.”

Bhookle’s team believes that this award is a proud moment for the city of Chennai.

“This is a Namma Chennai app,” Arvind said. “It’s a platform born here, and it’s a platform that we hope the people of Chennai will continue to support and love as we grow.”

To celebrate the award, Bhookle is planning an event later this quarter to recognise its chefs and share the award with them. The team is also working on enhancing its services and onboarding more home chefs from different cities across India.