LFC HYDERABAD
January-June 2026
I’ve been closely following Chef Tzac since 2019, and his work around food systems and community-building, especially the COTRs, deeply resonated with me. When I learned about the Local Food Club meetups, I started attending them in June 2025. Over time, I became more involved, co-hosting and hosting a few LFC meetups myself. It’s been rewarding to move from participant to contributor and help create spaces where food becomes a medium for connection, learning, and positive change.
What’s your go-to local food spot in your city, and why does it matter to you?
My go-to local food spot in the city has to be Shadab, near Charminar, and more broadly, the entire Ramzan market around Charminar. There’s something incredibly powerful about how that place has preserved its essence over decades. The narrow lanes, the aroma of haleem, kabab and biryani wafting through the air, the old Irani cafés, the street vendors — it all feels timeless. The joy that food brings in that space feels collective. It’s not just about eating; it’s about belonging. Every time I’m there, it reminds me that food isn’t just sustenance; it’s memory, culture, continuity, and community.
One food trend you’re loving right now, and one you’re ready to see less of.
One food trend I’m genuinely loving right now is the return to locally produced, culturally rooted
food. There’s a visible shift back to millets, indigenous rice varieties, and traditional fermented
foods like kanji, pakhala/poita bhat, and other regional staples that were once dismissed as “poor man’s food.” Consumers are starting to value traceability, nutrition, soil health, ethical farming, and quality over just price. It feels like a deeper cultural correction is underway—one that reconnects food to land and livelihood. On the flip side, one trend I’m ready to see less of is the bastardisation of food in the name of innovation or marketing. Not every mashup needs to exist. Yogurt + Biscoff cheesecake, dosa ice cream, hyper-processed viral creations—sometimes it feels like shock value is replacing substance.
What’s something you’ll almost always find in your fridge?
You’ll almost always find some kind of chutney, chilli-oil, spread, or thecha in my fridge. It’s my non-negotiable. Something punchy, versatile, and alive that can instantly elevate the most basic meal.
What’s an LFC moment or memory that you’ll never forget?
It was the first LFC meetup I attended in Jaynagar- it was a room full of people who couldn’t stop talking about food and I felt like I’ve found my tribe.
How do you imagine your Local Food Club growing and flourishing over time?
For me, success with LFC simply means helping more people become aware of their food
systems and become mindful consumers. With food so easily available on shelves and Q-
commerce platforms, we’ve grown distant from its source. That distance has led to unsustainable eating habits, waste, and unrealistic expectations. I imagine LFC growing as a space that gently closes that gap. Not through preaching, but through experience. If local producers feel seen and supported, that is impact. If conversations about soil health and biodiversity become as common as conversations about new restaurants, that is impact for me.