Shiv Catering

Shiv Catering operates out of a small place at 221, Patnipura Sqr. If you know Patni Pura, you know how loud and busy the square gets throughout the day. Our shop is right in the thick of it. We spend most of our hours in the back room where the heavy lifting happens. There is always a pile of large aluminium containers waiting to be scrubbed and bags of onions stacked near the entrance. The floor is often a bit wet from the cleaning, and there is a constant hum of the exhaust fan trying to pull the heat out. We keep our old wooden table near the door where we take down notes on scraps of paper when people stop by to ask about dates. It is not a very formal setup, but it works for what we do. My younger brother usually handles the local vegetable market trips while I stay back to manage the cooking staff. The noise from the rickshaws outside never really stops, but we have learned to talk over it. Sometimes the power goes out in the middle of a big prep session, and we have to scramble to get the lanterns out. It is a lot of physical labor, moving heavy crates and stirring giant vats of dal for hours. We drink a lot of tea to stay awake during the late-night shifts. It is just a regular local business trying to keep up with the daily rush.