Price rise forces Mumbai restaurants to stop serving onion-based dishes

Onions prices started mounting after the unseasonal rain in October and November destroyed crops across the country. Restaurateurs said it is burdensome for them to continue serving onion-based dishes at the current rates.

With the price of onions touching an all-time high, restaurant owners in the city said they have been forced to gradually cut down onion-based dishes on their menus. A lot of restaurant owners also warned that they would be forced to increase the price of onion-based dishes if the situation does not improve soon.

Onions — which are one of the key ingredients in most dishes — are selling for ₹100 per kilogram in Mumbai.(Bachchan Kumar / HT Photo)

Onions — which are one of the key ingredients in most dishes — are selling for ₹100 per kilogram in Mumbai. Prices started mounting after the unseasonal rain in October and November destroyed crops across the country. Restaurateurs said it is burdensome for them to continue serving onion-based dishes at the current rates. The Indian Hotels and Restaurant Association (AHAR) has called for a meeting of hotel and restaurant owners next week to decide on the future course of action. “There are many hotels which have cut down on onion-based items. If this situation continues, we will be left with no option but to increase the prices as we cannot sustain ourselves,” said Santosh Shetty, president, AHAR.

Most hotels in the city have also stopped serving complimentary raw onions alongside main dishes to customers.

Kamlesh Barot, who owns Revival chain of restaurants in the city, said he was stumped by the hike in onion prices, from ₹25 per kg to ₹100 per kg. “I have not seen such a hike in my entire life. At the most, the prices used to jump to ₹50 per kg, that too during Diwali,” said Barot.

He also said onions are the main base in a lot of items and reducing the quantity affects the taste. “Smaller and medium restaurants are forced to cut corners like reducing the amount of onions in their dishes or they will not be able to sustain their businesses,” said Barot.

The government’s efforts to import 2,500 tonnes of onions from Egypt has not eased the situation. All eyes are on the next batch of the crop, scheduled to arrive this week.