As the aroma of spicing hot ‘vazhapoo vadai’ fills the air at the ‘Uzhavan Unavagam,’ farmer’s food court, in Reserve line, the two customers waiting for their fill of the delicacy are visibly happy.
“We have been regular customers for the last three months and have grown to love the healthy menu with delicious dishes,” said K. Arasu Kannu, a resident of Koodal Nagar.
The ‘Uzhavan Unavagam,’ the brain child of former Collector U. Sagayam, was inaugurated in 2011 to promote traditional food. It was shifted to a newly constructed building in the same compound in 2013 by the then Collector, Anshul Mishra.
A SHG now manages the canteen in which there are six stalls, with three farmers and two women SHG members who sell packaged snacks and dishes such as dosa, vadai and chappathi, all made of millets.
“The weekends see a steady stream of customers from 5.30 p.m. and people start to come in on weekdays after 7.30 p.m.,” Mr Arasu said.
“The campus has overgrown bushes and weeds. If the place is cleared and the canteen given a facelift with increased seating arrangements and stalls, more people would come,” said G. Bhaskararajan, an ophthalmologist, a patron of the canteen for the last two years.
Echoing his views, a farmer at the canteen said that a children’s playground could also be constructed to attract more crowd. “Children are very rare visitors here as they usually prefer fast food. Such attractions would draw them here,” he added.
S. Gnanaraj, a working professional from P and T Nagar who frequents the canteen for the herbal soups, said that despite loyal customers visiting on a daily basis, many remained in the dark about the outlet’s existence.
During the tenure of Mr. Sagayam, interactions were held in schools where the consumption of healthy food was propagated. B.K. Balaji, a farmer who has a stall in the canteen, said that the farmers now were engaged in such awareness programmes across schools.
“We show children that snacks made of millets are equally tasty and explain their health benefits. We set up stalls at school exhibitions and other events,” he said.
Another SHG member said that earlier they could draw water from the nearby government offices for cooking, but now they were forced to buy mineral water. “The officials say that there is no water available. A running water connection here would be very helpful,” she said.
