Bengaluru Startup Reinvents Dairy-Free Desserts with Millets
Source: dairynews.today
Liki Foods in Bengaluru is transforming millets into creamy, dairy-free desserts, attracting health-conscious consumers.
Bengaluru-based Liki Foods merges India's ice cream love with ancient grains, offering a guilt-free twist for dessert enthusiasts. Founded by engineer Gautam Raikar, the startup crafts millet-based ice creams, smoothies, shakes, and frappes.
The idea sprouted amid the COVID-19 lockdown as Raikar experimented with millet cookies. By 2021, he delved into R&D, testing sorghum, foxtail, pearl, and finger millet paired with fruits and chocolate. After years and several failed batches, he perfected the texture using almond and cashew milk and low sugar (5–12%). Since June 2023, Liki Foods ramped up production, producing 35,000–50,000 litres monthly, with sales rising during the summer. Operations began in a small Malleshwaram outlet and transitioned to a 2,500-sq-ft Yelachenahalli unit with necessary licenses.
Liki’s range includes 12 ice cream flavors available from 100 ml to 4 L, along with cookies, shakes, sandwiches, and coffee. Products retail at various venues and online platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato. Raikar sources millets from local farmers, processing them into rich millet milk using custom machines without preservatives. Their desserts employ real fruit, nuts, and natural stabilizers. New flavors and millet-based cones are underway. Beyond these, Liki's innovation reinvigorates Indian staples, supports farmers, and enhances employee lives through healthier lifestyles.
The idea sprouted amid the COVID-19 lockdown as Raikar experimented with millet cookies. By 2021, he delved into R&D, testing sorghum, foxtail, pearl, and finger millet paired with fruits and chocolate. After years and several failed batches, he perfected the texture using almond and cashew milk and low sugar (5–12%). Since June 2023, Liki Foods ramped up production, producing 35,000–50,000 litres monthly, with sales rising during the summer. Operations began in a small Malleshwaram outlet and transitioned to a 2,500-sq-ft Yelachenahalli unit with necessary licenses.
Liki’s range includes 12 ice cream flavors available from 100 ml to 4 L, along with cookies, shakes, sandwiches, and coffee. Products retail at various venues and online platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato. Raikar sources millets from local farmers, processing them into rich millet milk using custom machines without preservatives. Their desserts employ real fruit, nuts, and natural stabilizers. New flavors and millet-based cones are underway. Beyond these, Liki's innovation reinvigorates Indian staples, supports farmers, and enhances employee lives through healthier lifestyles.
