A worker cuts wooden logs at a firewood shop in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Firewood prices have shot up with increased demand from hotels and households following a shortage of LPG cylinders. | Photo credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
Back to where it all began! As rumors become reality and many hotels in cities close due to non-availability of LPG cylinders, some are forced to set up new cooking facilities to accommodate firewood stoves. Unlike restaurants in Thiruvananthapuram city, many restaurants outside the city have been running firewood stoves for years. The news of shortage of LPG cylinders had minimal impact on the day-to-day operations of these restaurants.
“We have been dependent on the firewood shop next to our hotel since my father ran the shop. We always got firewood at the best possible price and never felt the need to switch to LPG stoves,” said Anil Kumar, owner of Hotel Thara in Neyyattinkara, which has been in business for over 50 years.
The only firewood store
The town of Neyyattinkara used to have two large firewood stores, one of which was gradually closed due to reduced demand. Gopan, who owns the only big firewood store in Neyyattinkara, says he has no plans to raise prices as demand is growing at present. “Small shops that buy firewood from us and sell it locally can try to make more profit with increased demand. We have a history of more than 60 years and have always had steady demand from our loyal customers, mostly hotels in Neyyattinkara,” Mr Gopan said, making it clear that he had no intention of capitalizing on the surge in demand for short-term profit.
The taste factor
Vijayaraghavan, who has been running the roadside restaurant ‘Naalumanikattu’ for 45 years in Amaravila, says that although it is easier to find cooks who operate gas stoves, he has decided to keep the traditional wood stove burning to preserve the authentic taste of the traditional cuisine that still brings local customers to his hotel.
“We used to procure firewood locally at ₹2,000 per tonne, but with the shortage of cooking gas, the asking price has gone up to ₹7,000, making daily operations difficult,” says Mr. Vijayaraghavan, adding that he hopes the situation is temporary and prices will level off soon.
Published – 13 March 2026 20:35 IST
