Home Chefs Handle 8-10 Orders Each for Valentine's Day as Couples Seek Intimate Celebrations
While extravagant displays of love are traditionally expected during Valentine's Week, this year, couples are going the extra mile to keep celebrations intimate and deeply personal. Instead of crowded restaurants, many are choosing to celebrate at home or on secluded farms, creating cozy candlelight dinners that focus on food and love.
Personalized and Budget-Friendly Dishes in High Demand
Rikin, an Ahmedabad-based home chef, notes, "Many couples this year are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day at home or on a farm – away from the crowd. They wish to create a cosy and warm candlelight dinner to celebrate the day with food and love." He is busy preparing delicacies ahead of the festival, emphasizing that the concept of "shared experiences" has influenced food choices. "The dishes we serve are filling yet not heavy on the stomach or the pocket," he adds.
Another home chef, Vaishali, reports receiving orders for a variety of dishes, including cheese buns, bhakhri pizza, lila lasan nu kachu, vegetable kapuriya, dumplings, and assorted samosas with fillings like aloo mutter, cheese corn, dal, and spring rolls. For desserts, popular items include lachko, which has a semi-liquid texture, and mohanthal served with vanilla ice cream and strawberries and cream.
Home chefs also mention being booked for live counters, with sales remaining steady compared to last year, though prices have increased. Due to popular demand, strawberries and cream have made a comeback on menus.
Heart-Shaped Food and Trending Desserts
Heart-shaped food continues to dominate Valentine's Day celebrations, whether in cakes, cookies, or brownies. Twinkle Gupta, a home baker, shares, "This time, our V-Day spread includes chocolate chip butter cake with a chocolate fudge dip, the trending cake bouquet, signature brownies topped with fresh strawberries, and bento cakes with love messages for your partner."
Beyond real flowers, which are essential for Valentine's, the cake bouquet is a significant trend this year. People are leaning towards aesthetics while staying within budget. Heena Raval, another home baker, observes, "Hampers are not much in demand this year as people are leaning more towards celebrations focussing on their health. So, cute bento cakes (300 gm) are in vogue, and will continue to trend for a long time."
Charcuterie Boards and Health-Conscious Trends
Charcuterie boards and cheeseboards, long popular at festivities, are now gaining traction for Valentine's Day. Ganga Pohekar, a charcuterie expert from Mumbai, says, "We receive a lot of last-minute orders. I have seen an inclination towards Galentine parties, where people love having cheeseboards featuring a whole lot of seasonal fruits."
She adds that health-conscious millennial women are decorating their tables with fresh salads, rice paper rolls filled with raw vegetables, and charcuterie boards that include probiotic-rich items like gherkins, olives, and pickled vegetables. "I’m seeing a bigger vegetarian and clean-eating trend among the new generation. I’ve had a young couple who wanted their platter to be protein-rich produce," Pohekar notes.
Top Trending Items This Valentine's Day
- Charcuterie boards and cheese boards
- Trendy cake bouquets
- Lachko (semi-liquid texture) and mohanthal with vanilla ice cream
- Strawberry and cream
- Dumplings
- Assorted samosas
This shift towards intimate, personalized celebrations highlights how couples are prioritizing meaningful experiences over grand gestures, with home chefs playing a key role in making Valentine's Day special through customized and affordable culinary delights.
