When one sits down to chat with the effervescent Gunit Singla and her husband Chef Samir Singla, you can rest assured that food is a big part of the session. So, sure enough last week saw us at their expansive central kitchen in Pallikaranai, having an animated discourse about their new venture over their famous, foamy coffee and munching on mini samosas and heart-shaped biscuits. Sweetish with hints of honey, cilantro and mint tea, the biscuit is Love You’s from their new brand Tailtale — packaged, off-the-rack, gourmet dog treats and dog food.
We proceed to taste all the six flavours that include the likes of brown rice-based Bon Bons, Crack Snack (peanut butter and oats) and Baked Fries (gluten-free, sweet potato-based), which have been launched recently. As Sam tells us that there are six more flavours coming up, he adds, “We have taken care to research the ingredients and ensure that they are baked in a hygienic and quality-controlled environment.” The immaculately maintained Tailtale kitchen has an intimidating German-made smart-oven that bakes large batches of the treats even as Sam can check the progress remotely on his phone.
The nine-point mandate
• Natural, indigenous ingredients, palatable for humans too.
• All ingredients are hypoallergenic and listed on the cover.
• All treats are baked and handmade.
• No by products or fillers are used.
• No additives, preservative or artificial flavours are used.
• Ingredients sourced from farmer- friendly platforms.
• Nutrition and microbiology are lab-certified.
• Shelf life of six months.
• Vegan and gluten-free options are available.
Chef and entrepreneur, Sam, who has been in the food industry for more than three decades, is an ardent dog lover, and his reading and research led him to question the long term consequences of packaged dog food. “When I realised what we were feeding our dog Twix (Labrador) in the guise of pet food, it shocked me and also being a chef, I was compelled to do something about it.” It began with experiments with Twix and other pets belonging to friends. “The feedback was excellent,” says Sam who uses ingredients like sea kelp, apples, bananas, sunflower, maple syrup and such in his recipes.
Packaged in cheerful looking boxes, besides 12 snacky items, they have also come up with six flavours of wet food options that include Mutton Meals, Beef Meals and Kerala Veg Meals. “In the future, we hope to offer customised recipes for dogs who are on dietary restrictions or are suffering from ailments that restrict certain ingredients,” promises Sam.
www.tailtale.co.in Priced from INR 175 (onwards for 200 gms), gift hampers at INR 750 onwards.Details: 93846-76260.