I’m excited to keep making desserts that surprise you in the best way possible and nourish them from within.
Shivani Sharma
Shivani Sharma, founder of Gourmestan, is on a mission to make India-first ingredients the centrepiece of refined, clean eating. Her mantra is simple: gourmet food doesn’t need to be indulgent to feel indulgent; it just needs a little care, context and creativity. And a glimpse into her impressive roster of regulars-which includes some of B-Town’s hottest names such as Sonam Kapoor, Hritik Roshan, Kareena and Karisma Kapoor, as well as cricket heavy-hitters Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli-proves that her clean take on gourmet feasting has several repeat takers.
In this freewheeling conversation, she shares the secret(s) to her success as well as the way ahead for clean eating in India.
Q: You often speak about “elevating simplicity.” What does that mean in a world obsessed with excess and fusion?
Shivani Sharma: For me, simplicity isn’t basic - it’s foundational. When I was studying in London, I often found myself missing the depth of home-style food - the kind that’s quietly comforting yet packed with technique, good-for-you ingredients, and a wholesome ethos. At Gourmestan, we’ve tried to bring that same sentiment to the plate. Whether it’s a millet-based cake or our vegan cheeses, we focus on ingredients that are clean, honest, and rooted in our food culture. Elevating simplicity is about honouring the ingredient, not masking it.
Q: So many people still associate “clean eating” with bland food. You’ve flipped that. How?
Shivani Sharma: I think the concept of clean eating is often misunderstood. It’s not about restriction, it’s about respect - for your body, for the planet, and for the ingredient. When you treat the simplest ingredients such as millets, nuts, and jaggery with finesse and nuanced understanding, the results are incredible. For instance, our millet-based brownies have a fudgy, indulgent texture that surprises people.
Q: What’s the biggest misconception people have about gluten-free or vegan desserts?
Shivani Sharma: That its dry, crumbly, or too ‘healthy tasting’. Once upon a time, that used to be the case! But innovation-in terms of ingredients, techniques and even equipment-has caught up. Today, we create millet-based vegan cakes that are as moist and decadent as their butter and refined sugar-laden counterparts. It’s about understanding the properties of each grain or fat substitute, and how to coax flavour from them. I always say-I’m not replicating traditional desserts. I’m creating a new tradition.
Q: Why India-first ingredients? What made you double down on them when it might’ve been easier to follow global trends?
Shivani Sharma: Because our larder is magic. We don’t need to chase chia when we have sabja, or quinoa when we have kutki and kodo. I’m not against global ingredients; I’m interested in what it means to build a new kind of gourmet experience that’s distinctly ours. India-first isn’t just a sourcing choice-it’s an identity choice. There’s pride in cooking with what's ours, and I want to make that aspirational again.
Q: Gourmestan started as a cloud kitchen. Now you’re moving into gifting, cafés, and even storytelling through a podcast. What’s the larger vision?
Shivani Sharma: The goal has never been just to run a kitchen - it’s to build an ecosystem. Food touches everything: memory, wellness, community. Our podcast is an extension of that: it highlights the invisible contributors who power the F&B industry. The gifting line is about sharing nostalgia in a box. And our café spaces would be clean, beautiful places to experience our kind of mindful indulgence. Every step is part of a bigger design.
Q: What’s one ingredient or dish you think will define the future of Indian gourmet dining?
Shivani Sharma: Millets, without question-but not just as a health food. I see them in layered desserts, artisanal breads and even traditional mithai formats. We just need to move them from the ‘diet’ category to the ‘desired’ category. Once people taste how versatile they are, the shift will happen organically. The future of gourmet isn’t in imports; it’s in reinvention.
Q: What's next on your radar? Any trends you're excited about?
Shivani Sharma: I think 2025 will be the year of ‘deep local.’ We’ll see micro-regional ingredients-such as Bhut Jolokia, kokum, and Kodagu honey-being used in patisserie and savoury. Also, functional desserts are having a moment: think adaptogen-infused chocolates or protein-rich mithai. But more than trends, I’m excited to keep making desserts that surprise you in the best way possible and nourish them from within.
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