The global health and wellness market in 2020 is valued at US$ 3.31 billion, and the industry is expected to increase at a CAGR of almost 6 percent during 2019-2023. Now with the COVID-19 pandemic still in the air, people have become more health-conscious and understood the significance of health.
While some have changed their regular eating patterns – which means eating healthy, a majority of them have shifted to consuming organic foods. To promote health and wellness and the virtuousness of nature, Siya Minocha, a Himachali woman has started Bitter Berries, a brand new concept that revolves around the idea of creating a new line of mountain-originated products.
Speaking to Life Beyond Numbers, Siya has shared the whole story of Bitter Berries and what gave her the idea to start it.
From The Mountains
A Law Graduate from prestigious Punjab University, Siya has been a student activist and an arduous supporter of social and environmental causes. Being born and brought up in Shimla, she has a keen sense of the mountains around her.
That’s when Siya got her calling to start Bitter Berries to promote the goodness of nature after experiencing the hill town in the foothills of the Himalayas. Their merchandise includes a range of health and wellness food products, which are native to the mountains and symbolize purity and mother nature.
“Our products not only symbolize the heavenly ecstasies of the serenity of the mountains but also tell the story of the mountain folk behind these products”, she added. Founded by Himachali women of 3 generations, they are also believers in women empowerment and are strongly associated with their Himachali roots.
Every product is directly manufactured and sourced from Himachal and made from all-natural ingredients.
Bitter Berries – Range Of Products
A bootstrap start-up trying to promote women entrepreneurship and sustainable products, the USP of Bitter Berries is to provide a myriad range of quality and natural products under one banner, which is difficult to find elsewhere, especially in the comfort of your home. Their products contain multiple lines, which include health and wellness, beauty, and cosmetics.
From wellness oils (Wild Walnut Oil, Wild Apricot Oil, Wild Hazelnut Oil) to pickles and chutneys (Tomato Chutney, Sweet Chilli Pickle, Rhododendron Chutney) to honey (White Honey, Rosewood Honey, Multiflora Honey, Apple Cider Vinegar), they are planning to diversify to a wide range of products.
As the Himalayas are well-known for their hidden treasure and a quest for a wide range of products, asked Siya about the inspiration to start this concept. She then gave a swift response: “Inspiration comes from something that leaves awestruck. The same can be said about our range of Bitter Berries products. We as a team were inspired by the mighty Himalayan mountains and what they had to offer us when we decided upon the inception of the brand”.
Challenges, Accolades
Although health is the major selling point for consuming these organic products, sourcing raw materials from the Himalayas has been a challenging task.
Despite tough times, there are accolades about the quality of the product. Siya has shared a few comments she received post-consumption of Bitter Berries products.
One customer said, “I must confess that I ordered this deal of pickle primarily because of the attractive price. The pickle arrived yesterday, and my first impression was that the jar looked so cute and handy. I tried the chili pickle today and loved it. I’m not someone who loves too much spiciness in anything, but the chili pickle from Bitter Berries is just the right kind of spicy and tangy for my tastebuds. Recommended to all pickle lovers.”
Another customer said, “I got this khatti meethi Tomato Chutney from Bitter Berries. It’s 100% pure and natural. Handcrafted from Himalayan harvests. No preservatives, flavors, and colors were added. It’s a sweet and Tangy chutney which my mom used to make for me and I think everyone should try it.”
Looking Ahead
The Mountains have always been symbolic of beauty, purity, mystery, and goodness. Down the line, Bitter berries aim to go forward with a sustainable and holistic approach. They also plan to include a range of traditional wellness, beauty, fashion related products over time.
Siya concluded with a note saying, “Our aim is to make available pure and age-old traditions from the mountains at the doorstep by way of e-commerce platforms. We will also continue to promote our brand in terms of sustainability by way of clean packaging, clean sourcing, and manufacturing. It is our endeavor at Bitter Berries to enable our consumers to carry some of that magic through our wildcrafted Himalayan Products”.