Raji Gopalakrishnan is to arrange a wedding on Sunday. But what will happen next is a question mark as the shortage of LPG has hit the catering business hard, says Ms. Gopalakrishnan, who runs the half-century-old Anandam Home Caterers in Thiruvananthapuram.
“On Sunday, I can get by with the current LPG supply, but once it runs out, there’s no other option but to stop taking orders. Fortunately, the next wedding is just around the corner.”
Firewood is an option if one cooks biryani or neychora, but making a full set with firewood is difficult as people are not used to it anymore, he points out.
Ms Gopalakrishnan has also stopped taking orders for smaller events, although she does not reject kanji for bereaved families.
Her takeaway in Nanthancode serves tea and snacks, but not for long, she says.
KG Sudhakaran of Ammu Catering Service near Thiruvananthapuram College of Engineering says he is not handling new orders as he has run out of LPG cylinders. For now, it uses firewood. The shortage of LPG cylinders was so unexpected that he had no time to stock up, says Mr. Sudhakaran.
“I’m getting married on March 20, but since I don’t have a venue or equipment to cook with firewood, I’ll have to ask if the venue allows firewood. Otherwise, I’ll have to find a venue that does allow firewood and then deliver the cooked food to the venue,” she says.
Without work, paying staff wages will also be difficult for these caterers. Migrant workers who work with them may leave or go home for extended periods of time. “They still find work when they come back, but we don’t have many options,” says Mr. Sudhakaran.
Mr Sudhakaran says he has a couple of weddings for next month but is not taking any orders for the following month as he does not know when the current situation will be resolved.
Shanudeen of Saj Events says they take minimum orders and miss out on small events. Fortunately, he says he has no marriage to worry about this month.
Slice menu
Menus are also being tweaked, missing Chinese dishes and breads like parotta, appam and pathiri. “We managed to get our customers to understand the situation.”
Earlier, they used firewood only to cook rice, but now all meals are prepared this way, says Mr. Shanudeen. The transition was hardly smooth, with the staff getting sick from the heat of the fire, something they are not used to.
As everyone switches to firewood, its availability has gone down and the price has gone up, he points out.
Catering units hope that the shortage of LPG cylinders will not drag on for long and their business can take off in full swing sooner rather than later.
Published – 14 March 2026 20:40 IST
