I recently met Saloni Kothari at the Vegan India Conference, where she shared her passion project with me — a vegan food venture called Zessa. She generously sent me some of her newly launched products to try, including a gluten-free vegan bread, butter, cheese spread, and a gluten-free flour blend.
I’m always grateful when people take the initiative to create new vegan products. So many people want to shift to a vegan lifestyle, but hesitate because they’re afraid of giving up their comfort foods. That’s why ventures like Zessa are so important — they help make this transition not only possible but enjoyable.
Saloni’s vision is to make Zessa a one-stop vegan shop in South Mumbai, offering everything a new vegan might need. I must say, I found her cheese spread, butter, and bread to be absolutely delicious. While they aren’t strictly whole foods plant-based — they do contain some oil — I appreciated her efforts to use clean, healthy ingredients. She’s consciously avoided preservatives, food colourings, trans fats, and other harmful additives.
Zessa also has a range of healthy snack items, which adds to the convenience and appeal for anyone looking to embrace a healthier, plant-based lifestyle.
At times, I worry that in a rapidly expanding market — where even big brands are merging and competing for space — smaller ventures with unique value propositions might get overlooked. But I truly hope that brands like Zessa continue to stand out, because their contribution is not only valuable but necessary.
Source: Instagram Post