Wedding caterers adopt ‘hybrid’ cooking to save the day

“Few cylinders were available in the black market till yesterday, but the supply dried up completely,” said Vijay Kumar, state president of Tent Caterers and Decoration Welfare Association

LUCKNOW Even as the city witnessed 1200 to 1500 weddings on Wednesday, panic over the shortage of commercial gas cylinders forced caterers to rely on traditional firewood to keep the kitchens running.

To manage the large-scale catering requirements, teams adopted a hybrid approach: part of the menu was prepared using the remaining gas stocks, while the rest was cooked over traditional wood-fired stoves (Pioc for representation)

“Few cylinders were available in the black market till yesterday, but the supply dried up completely today,” said Vijay Kumar, state president of the Tent Caterers and Decoration Welfare Association.

“Firewood has been our primary support in overcoming this shortage. To manage the large-scale catering requirements, teams adopted a hybrid approach: part of the menu was prepared using the remaining gas stocks, while the rest was cooked over traditional wood-fired stoves,” he said.

For interactive ‘live stalls’— such as those serving chowmein and other quick snacks — caterers managed the situation by using 5kg small cylinders. Association members said if the commercial gas crisis is not resolved soon, relying on firewood and small-capacity cylinders will remain the only viable alternative for the upcoming wedding season.

“We have supply that would last for at least 2-3 days, but we will have to think about alternatives if the situation persists,” said Shyam Krishnani, another caterer.