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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.
“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.
Mahesh Kumar Sharma, a caterer, said the cylinder they used to get for ₹1850 until Monday was priced at ₹3500-4000 on Tuesday, while it was difficult to find cylinders on Wednesday. “We managed with domestic cylinders so that the wedding does not get affected. We even used a kerosene furnace and wood to cook some food. If this situation persists, we will face problems at least till March 18, until which we have bookings for weddings and receptions,” he said.
“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.
